Blindfold
by RuneWolfe
Summary: Yuuri finally gives in to Wolfram's love, but for an unknown reason does not allow him to see his body while they make love. As war hits Shin Makoku, Yuuri has to learn to trust Wolfram with a secret he never told anyone before. YuuriWolfram
1. Chapter 1: What I'll Never Have

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: This chapter is an experiment to see how you guys like the story, please review.

Chapter 1: What I'll Never Have

Wolfram glared out the window at the sight of Yuuri playing what he called 'baseball' with Conrad. That was all they ever did, just stand there throwing the ball back and forward with oversized leather gloves on their hands. He didn't understand the appeal of such a game, for it seemed rather monotonous, or why Yuuri couldn't teach him how to play so that they could do it together.

It seemed that the only one Yuuri wanted to be around was Conrad. Everyone always wanted Conrad. It appeared to be that somehow the middle brother had become the favorite with all of Shin Makoku, including Wolfram's fiancée. If Yuuri were to come to him and say he was leaving for someone else, the prince wouldn't even need to ask who it would be.

It was then that Gunter entered the scene he was observing. Wolfram stifled his laughter at the sight of the silver haired man dragging Yuuri away from his god father and towards the library. As long as Gunter was there to do it, Wolfram would not have to become the enemy. Yuuri wouldn't have to know.

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However, it was later, at dinner, when he would make that same mistake. Not that it was intentional, mind you, but Wolfram had a way of saying the wrong things at the worst times…

Yuuri poked at his meat, he wasn't hungry. Too many thoughts were bubbling over in his head to leave any room for hunger. Whether it be worrying about Greta's cold or trying to stop a war, he was always drifting off. When Conrad took notice of the king's dissatisfaction, he moved to make amends. "Does the food not please you, your majesty?"

"No…," Yuuri spoke softly, "its fine… I'm just tired."

"I don't see why," Wolfram snorted. His brothers looked shocked, their cold glares making him aware of his mistake. Yuuri was trying, and he knew that, perhaps even better than anyone else, but everything that burst from his mouth only made matters worse. It was just that, sometimes, insulting Yuuri was the only way he could get the king to acknowledge his existence.

"Wolfram!" Conrad interjected in unison with Gunter. "Apologize."

"No."

"WOLFRAM, he is your king!"

"I'm his fiancée!" Wolfram spat, so tired of being looked down upon by others.

"You don't deserve to be." The room went silent as Conrad said this; it was so uncharacteristically cruel of him to say. Even Yuuri went rigid, watching as Wolfram's façade of anger broke away to an expression he couldn't recognize.

"It's not like you would understand, Weller!" He thrust his fists unenthusiastically on the table and ran off, angry tears burning his eyes.

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It was late when Wolfram returned to his bedroom from his haven in the rose garden. That was where he always went to think things through. Slowly he turned the knob and stepped in to what he found to be a pitch black room. The only light was the pastel glow from the moon streaming in through the open curtains.

Cautiously he closed the door behind him, thinking that perhaps Yuuri was already asleep, but he would find quiet the opposite. A movement in the darkness caught his eye. "Yuuri?"

There was silence for a moment, as if Yuuri was trying to gain the courage to speak. The curtains swirled eerily as a small breeze whistled through underneath the window. "Take off your clothes."

"What!"

Another moment of silence, then Yuuri's voice became softer and more desperate, "please, Wolf."

"I don't under-,"

"Please…."

Reluctantly Wolfram gave in, somewhat frightened. This wasn't like Yuuri at all, and worse he couldn't see where he was. Slowly he undid the buttons of his jacket, gently unclasping the chain around his neck and undoing his belt buckle. He then it fall to the ground in a small crumpled heap. Gradually the rest of his clothing follow until all of his body was revealed to the cold night air. He shivered nervously, awaiting his next instruction.

"Come into the moonlight," Yuuri murmured.

Guardedly, Wolfram did so. As the pale glow washed over his body, he heard an almost inaudible gasp from his left, so that's where Yuuri was.

"Kirei," Yuuri murmured, stunned by Wolfram's beauty. Shyly he began to move around within the darkness, trying to see his fiancée from every different angel, yet remaining hidden.

Tempted to follow Yuuri with his eyes, Wolfram restrained himself, somehow sensing that there was a reason the boy did not want to be seen. Therefore he remained still, like a statue being examined by an onlooker.

Bit by bit Wolfram regained his confidence, "are you going to touch me, hennachoko?"

There was a longer pause and the shuffling of the king's feet died out within the right hand corner of the room. "I can't."

Wolfram was confused, "of course you can, I'm right here…"

"I would taint you." His voice was weak and broken as he said this. "Because of….I can't."

What couldn't he say? What didn't he want him to know? Part of Wolfram's heart shattered at the realization that Yuuri still didn't trust him. "You're so unfair, Yuuri, you never let anyone help you."

"Wolfram…,"

"I won't make you tell me why, but…I want you to trust me, like you trust Conra-Weller."

Tears welled up in Yuuri's eyes at this confession. He hadn't meant to hurt Wolfram. "I do trust you, Wolf. But, you're something I can never have. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Everyone always says sorry! I hate that word. I want to take care of you, Yuuri, to protect you. If someone hurt you I'll-," he stopped as a soft piece of cloth was tied over his eyes, plunging him into darkness. "Yuuri…"

"Do you still want me if you can't see me?"

"Of course, Yuuri, I am not that shallow." Wolfram was surprised, but seemed to be catching on. Yuuri was caving in slightly.

"You would keep this on while we made love?"

The prince stood dumbfounded for a moment. Yuuri wanted to make love with him? It was a dream come true, even if it had an odd twist. If his fiancée didn't want Wolfram to see his body, than he would have to go along with what he wanted. It was definitely something significant if it could make Yuuri act this strangely. "Yes, hennachoko."

To his surprise Yuuri made no audible response, just tentatively pressed their lips together, almost testing the other man to see his reaction. Wolfram nearly jumped at the new contact, but soon regained himself.

"Wolfram…kirei…," Yuuri sighed as he stroked his fiancée's pale cheek. His voice was soft a childlike as he hesitantly he guided the future queen's hands to the buttons of his linen nightshirt; shyly helping him in discarding it. A fire had started within him, and it longed only for Wolfram.

Once the article of clothing had been taken care of, they paused, the king not quite ready to lose the rest of his attire. It was then that Yuuri led them to their bed, crawling softly over the coverlet to the decorative pillows where he lay in anticipation. He chuckled faintly when Wolfram had settled himself over him.

Their first touches were clumsy and uncertain, more so for Wolfram who was blindfolded. Yet he began to memorize every small detail of Yuuri's body. It was odd to be dominant over his fiancée; nevertheless the prince had learned to expect the unexpected with his king.

At long last Wolfram located Yuuri's lips. It was going to be difficult taking someone without his sight. The kiss started innocent, broken intermittently by soft gasps and nervous giggles; then grew more passionate. Wolfram began coaxing Yuuri on, feeling his fiancée's usual strength returning. When the boy pressed his tongue to Wolfram's pink lips the prince took the signal and allowed it to enter, exploring the luscious cavern of his mouth.

Just then there were voices in the hallway. The lovers froze, unsure of whether or not they had been detected.


	2. Chapter 2: Don't Look

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: please forgive me for ooc in chapter 1 (especially for Conrad's burst of anger, I hate to make him so mean, I love him); trust me there is a reason for it. Thank you for your reviews, sadly I cannot answer why Yuuri needs the blindfold or else I'll give away a crucial part of the story. Yes I know this chapter jumps ahead, but don't worry, everything you missed will come back as flashbacks in later chapters, this is all absolutely necessary.

Chapter 2: Don't Look

One month later:

Yuuri sat at his desk, glaring at the loathed papers that he had to sign. Everyday they seemed to grow out of the woodwork like giant towers. He groaned; there were so many things he would rather be doing.

Just then Wolfram made a sound from the corner of the room, where he was rubbing his blonde head restlessly. Yuuri looked at him apologetically, it was his fault; he had gotten Wolfram's hair knotted in the blindfold again. He wanted to thank his fiancée, it would be the least he could do. Every time they made love, Wolfram diligently hid his eyes without complaint; the king no longer had to ask; and never had he question Yuuri about why.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, watching as Wolfram's hand reached back for the sore spot on his skull once again.

Wolfram straightened, realizing that Yuuri had heard him, "forget it, hennachoko; it's nothing. But I think you need knot tying lessons."

It was right when he was about to respond when Gunter and Conrad barged in to see if he had finished with the paperwork. At the sight of a whole pile still remaining, Yuuri blushed. Then Greta burst through the doorway as well, pleading with her father to come and play. From somewhere within the mess of people, Wolfram disappeared into the hall, leaving his king to fend for himself. Yuuri was plenty strong enough to fend for himself during the daytime.

But when night came around things would change. A fear would take hold of Yuuri's mind once again and plague him with thoughts of doubt and regret for a crime he did not commit. The king would never let Wolfram see his body while they made love, but being near him in such a way was more than enough.

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Back in the office after dinner, Yuuri was once again bound to his paperwork, when an interesting document fell in front of him. 'Prenuptial Agreement' it read in bold letters. Suddenly curious, the king unfolded the paper and began to read. What he found worried him, he had signed the document 3 months ago after being bombarded by Wolfram's loud opposition to him not doing so. In fact, the signature missing was…Wolfram's.

Yuuri was certain that it must have been a mistake; that Wolfram probably just forgot with all the other things that they had to do. But still, it was odd for his fiancée to be so carelessly forgetful. Especially in the matter of their marriage.

At the bottom in small writing was a undersized clause: 'document must be received within five months after its publishing date with both signatures in order for marriage to be authenticated.' Yuuri nodded slowly and pocketed the document, assuring that he would discuss it with Wolfram later.

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Yuuri lay back in Wolfram's arms, panting slightly. Yet another night they met in utter bliss, just the two of them as one. It had been colder than usual, but they had made their own heat and needed nothing but one another.

Curling up for sleep the king smiled and softly tugged the sash off of his fiancée's face, revealing two fiery emerald eyes. The passion in Wolfram's expression nearly served to arouse Yuuri once again. But sleep tugged at his eyes, "Wolf," he murmured drowsily, "do you love me?"

The prince smirked, playfully sucking on his king's fingers, "What kind of question is that? Of course I do, hennachoko."

Yuuri sighed, hesitating to continue. "Would you love me even if you weren't…my first?"

Wolfram sat up his interest suddenly peaked, "I don't understand, Yuuri…is there someone else?"

The boy was swift to quell those fears, "no, no! That's not it…I was just…nevermind."

His fiancée eyed him warily. What was he getting at? "Hennachoko," he muttered once more before rolling over and pulling up the blankets. But he wasn't nearly ready for sleep. He could hear Yuuri's steady breathing behind him, something that usually lulled him into slumber, but tonight it drowned out his other senses. He now focused on it, searching for some clue. Perhaps an idea of what he didn't know.

"Neh, Wolfram…," Yuuri spoke, noticing a paper sticking out of his pants pocket. He reached for it where the article of clothing lay in a heap on the floor, now remembering that he had to speak to Wolfram about it. Handing the document to his now alert companion he continued, "Why didn't you sign this?"

It took the man a moment to realize what he was holding, "did you want me to?"

Yuuri was taken aback by Wolfram's blatant response. But realized that his fiancée had a point, did he want him to? "I… I think so."

"I'm not going to marry you if you just 'think so,' Yuuri. You need to want it."

"Since when have your feelings changed about this?" The boy's nightly childishness retreated within him, returning his normal self. The prince chose to ignore the question.

"Give me an answer, Yuuri." Wolfram's voice, quite surprisingly, remained calm, his eye on one specific goal.

"I told you I think so, Wolfram."

"What does that mean? What are you waiting for? Obviously you have doubts about this." His anger began to boil over.

"That's not true!"

The blonde stood from the bed and faced him, arms folded across his bare chest in his familiar stance. "Do you love me?"

"Yes! You know that."

"Then why don't you know if you want to marry me?"

There was a long silence as Yuuri tried to figure it out. He honestly didn't know, he didn't know a lot of things. Wolfram made it look so simple to decide, but he had at least sixty more years of experience to draw from. The boy, however, was only 16.

"Okay! I'm afraid, you happy?" He turned away and buried himself into the pillows.

"Yuuri…," Wolfram sighed, there the child was again. He sat back down on the bed; at least it wasn't the Maou. Though, rethinking the situation, he might have preferred the king's aggressiveness.

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Again Yuuri was chained to his paperwork the next day and yet another document had caught his attention. It seemed a lot of interesting things were turning up on his desk this week. Even more fascinating was that the paper was enclosed within a silver lined envelope decorated with golden initials, C. F., whoever it was liked to be flashy. Gently Yuuri broke the wax seal imprinted with a dog paw and flipped it open.

**Dear King Yuuri,** it read,

**I pray this finds you and the demon kingdom in good health for you'll need it. I, on behalf of the humans inhabiting this earth, inform you that we declare war on all Mazoku. Compromise is out of the question, either surrender or send your armies to a battle they cannot win. I trust you shall make the right choice; you have 72 hours to send your response. **

**Sincerely,**

** Cobalt Forester **

Yuuri's hands shook, his grip slightly crinkling the beige stationary. The thought of war was as unbearable as always, and his opposition to it was as strong as ever. Immediately he called for Conrad and Gwendal, thrusting the letter into their hands as if it were on fire. The two brothers took a moment to read the letter then turned to their king.

"I promised them no war, Conrad," was all Yuuri could say, "I promised."

His godfather nodded distractedly, not fully comprehending what Yuuri said, "Perhaps it would be best if his majesty returned to Earth for the time being. It is getting dangerous here."

"No! I'm not running away this time," the boy snapped, "what about all of you? What about the people, I'm their king, I should stay with them."

"Your majesty….," Conrad hesitated. He didn't like the idea of putting Yuuri in any danger.

"Call me Yuuri, Conrad, you're my godfather."

The brunette nodded, averting his gaze to the paper once again. So it had come to this once again, war. How many more people would have to die? How many more friends, lovers, fathers, and mothers would they have to lose? He wasn't so sure that Shin Makoku could survive another disaster like before.

Just then his brother prodded him with his elbow, "Conrart," Gwendal muttered under his breath, "This name…,"

Conrad nodded. It was definitely him.

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That night Yuuri was not in the mood for making love. He just lay there fiddling with Wolfram's white gold hair as his fiancée dangled on the edge of sleep. But like a dutiful lover Wolfram kept himself awake to listen to Yuuri's soft sighs and worries. Comforting him as best he could, although it wasn't something he was used to doing. His own reaction to the letter had been different than the others. They had been afraid; he, on the other hand, was furious at the nerve of the humans to attack the Mazoku again.

"They say we have to move the armies out by the end of the month," Yuuri whispered.

"Is it a draft?" Wolfram's voice was almost inaudible as he yawned at the same time.

"If there aren't enough volunteers…,"

The prince rolled his eyes. Wonderful, this war would make an enemy out of Yuuri as well. Such ruthless fighting could do terrible things to someone's mind, but to be the king sending the soldiers off to fight would be unbearable. Even after the fighting ends, Yuuri would still blame himself for all the lives that were lost.

"Wolfram, you aren't going to go, right?" The voice was pleading with him. But the blonde gave no answer. Yuuri then sat up, looking him in the eyes nervously, "tell me you aren't going to go!"

Wolfram said nothing.


	3. Chapter 3: Without Me

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: this is somewhat of a sappy chapter, but the next one is extremely dark, so i wanted to sandwiche it between two sweet chapters.

Chapter 3: Without Me

"You're not going!" Yuuri shouted as Wolfram stood from the bed the next morning. Having not said a word on the matter since the previous evening, the prince had the king on edge. The blonde proceeded to pull on his clothes, seemingly ignoring his fiancée's cries of anger. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yuuri, it is my duty to fight for my country," was the man's only response.

"So you'll die, just because it is your duty?" The king was now desperate. He tumbled from under the sheets, his blue pajamas askew as he tripped over to Wolfram. He clung to the prince tightly, the same way he did every night, "I don't want you to go. I hate war…."

"Hennachoko, everyone hates war," Wolfram kissed Yuuri's hand, "and who says I'm going to die?"

"But Wolfram….."

The blonde smiled slyly, his emerald eyes glinting with a confident fire, "you have to have faith in your precious fiancée."

"Wolfram!" But despite the painful situation, Yuuri laughed at his lover's ever witty confidence.

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Conrad looked over the list of those who had been recruited. As expected, he and his two brothers were listed. This wouldn't be good, with them gone, who would protect Yuuri? He sighed, reluctantly signing the document and sealing it closed with hot wax, handing it over to a waiting soldier. The armies would be heading out in three days.

Behind him Wolfram was examining his sword, making sure the blade was the right weight and was free from all scratches or grooves. It saddened Conrad, knowing that his little brother whom he had watched over since birth would be going off to fight. "Wolfram, are you sure…"

"Stop it, Weller, I'm going. I refuse to be weak in the face of humans," the prince snapped unenthusiastically, not looking up from polishing his sword. A quiver of fear made his voice tremble softly.

"Yuuri won't want you to go…"

Wolfram paused for a moment. Did Conrad think he was oblivious? Of course he knew how Yuuri felt on the matter, but there was nothing he could do. His pride would not stand for running away from a fight, in fact at times he went looking for them. "I know…but I have to protect him."

"But you can do that from the castle, Wolfram."

"And how would that make him look? His lover staying while everyone else's march off to war. Don't you think the people might react a little bitterly to such a thing? I hate hurting Yuuri as much as you do, Conrart, but I have no choice." Wolfram made a valid point and he older brother knew it. It was true, if the prince was allowed to stay behind because he was the king's beloved, it would not sit well with the people.

Just then a soldier across the courtyard called for Conrad, waving him over desperately to come examine a suit of armor which wouldn't fit right. The man sighed and strode away from his sibling, leaving Wolfram watching his own reflection in the sword. The boy eyed his angelic face bitterly, "I hate beauty," he muttered, "It disgusts me."

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Yuuri stared out of the office window, watching the soldiers adjusting their boots and helmets. They all seemed so determined, so ready to die for their leader. They were like ants, all following the one before them, even if it meant losing their lives. It nearly broke the young king's heart, standing their helplessly as he watched men he knew most likely would not be returning.

All day people had been supportive of him, patting his back and giving him their pep talks. Even Wolfram was unusually sympathetic, kissing him when he looked sad, and for the most part staying by his side even if it was just in silence. He knew that Yuuri liked having him nearby, as he had become a pole for the boy to lean on or cling to; a pole that Yuuri would soon have to let go of.

"Your majesty," Gunter spoke gently, having restrained from making Yuuri study that day, "this is not your fault."

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Wolfram's breath was hard from making love. He and Yuuri had not released one another until dawn and now his exhaustion was beyond sleep. Tenderly he kissed the head that was tucked beneath his chin. Only two more days now, until he could no longer hold onto Yuuri like this.

He glanced over at the floor where the black blindfold now lay, wondering if tonight he would ask Yuuri. No, he thought against it, Yuuri would tell him when he was ready. He couldn't say that it was easy, not being able to see the one you were caressing, or even seeing where your hand was going for that matter, but it was these moments in the darkness when he and his king held each other close that he lived for.

Just then Yuuri stirred, "Wolf…"

The blonde just made a small noise within his throat, his sea-green eyes drooping closed.

"I love you."

At this the prince smiled. "I love you too, Yuuri. I always will."

Yuuri pulled away slightly, although it was against Wolfram's desires. "I want…I want you to marry me." The man's eyes fluttered open at this confession, two small tears brimming in the corners.

"I will, hennachoko, if you will marry me."

The king grinned broadly and wriggled back into Wolfram's arms, cuddling as close to him as possible. "So now…now you have to live, because…if you don't, you'll make your husband cry." Wolfram laughed, stroking Yuuri's ebony hair. The boy could be so innocent at times.

"So I'm the wife now?"

But there was no response, save for the sound of Yuuri's soft breathing as he fell into a fragile sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Let Go

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: thank you for your reviews, this story was originally an experiment but I'm really enjoying writing it. I made a mistake on my last note, the dark chapter is chapter #5, so it's coming up next.

Chapter 4: Let Go 

Yuuri's eyes closed in disappointment as Wolfram pulled out of him weakly. He liked being one, being able to feel what his lover felt. The prince sensed his king's unhappiness and leaned in, stroking the boy's hair and pressing his lips to his forehead. Although he could not see the boys face, he knew the expression it probably held, and he knew it well. Yuuri's soft pants were almost sobs as he fought hard not to cry. This was their last night together.

He ripped the sash off of Wolfram's face and kissed him, a kiss that held all his hidden emotions and feelings. "I don't want you go," he murmured, falling back against the damp pillows, intermittently pressing kisses to the blonde's lips. He knew it was a feeble attempt, but he still wanted to try.

"I have to," Wolfram murmured, moving to lie beside him. They lay on their sides facing one another.

"But we haven't been together long enough, it's only been…" he was silenced as the prince kissed him gently. Yuuri closed his eyes and remained silent for a few heavy moments.

"I know, hennachoko, I'm sorry."

"You said never to say sorry."

"You're right, I did say that." Wolfram sat up, small beads of sweat on his pale skin sparkling in the moonlight. He looked out through the windows at the night sky, dark and littered with twinkling stars. They always left the curtains open when they made love, the moon's pale glow was romantic and soothing. But Yuuri wasn't looking at the moon; he was watching Wolfram, the prince whose radiance was matched only by the sun, _his _prince.

Yuuri sat up as well, gently tugging at the blonde's hand and bringing it to his lips. His eyes never left his lover's as he leaned in to bite Wolfram's neck, tasting the flavor of the man's warm skin. Obediently the prince reached out for the blindfold but Yuuri stopped him. Those vibrant green eyes met the king's obsidian ones. The boy gave no audible response, just innocently shook his head and leaned in to meet his lips. He wanted Wolfram to watch him.

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The soldiers stood at attention, awaiting the arrival of their king. Among them stood Gwendal, Conrad, and Wolfram; all three deathly silent, their thoughts wandering far away. Wolfram stared at the fountain, through which Yuuri had returned to them many times, remembering the previous night. He had been granted the most precious gift of all: Yuuri's trust.

Conrad noticed his youngest brother's contemplation and frowned. To him, Wolfram would never be ready for war. Turning he saw that Gwendal was watching the blonde prince as well. Neither brother was ready to lose him.

Just then the vivacious sound of trumpets pierced the silence as the king stepped out onto the marble steps to the castle, followed by a column of servants and guards. Yuuri looked unusually pale and tired as he looked out over his army who immediately bowed, reciting their praises. But the action did nothing to please him. As he looked through the crowd he could see husbands and fathers, as well as sons and brothers. Not to mention his own friends.

All he could say was "I'm sorry," and only Wolfram noticed him flinch after he said it. Those two words awed the men, bringing tears to their eyes as well. They took pity on the young leader, realizing his true youth and innocence. Slowly the king descended the steps and at the bottom did something that had never been done before. He kneeled on the dirt and bowed to them.

"You are the ones worthy of praise," he announced, remaining for a few more moments on the ground before standing uneasily. "None of you, no matter how poor or lonely, will ever be forgotten." He turned and ascended once more into the palace, disappearing behind the large rod iron doors.

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The sound of horses' hooves accompanied by leather boots drowned out the voices of the gathering crowd. The army slowly proceeded to the high archway of the city's gates and ventured out into the vast expanse of the demon kingdom, headed for a land far away.

Conrad adjusted himself in the saddle, his body synchronizing with the step of the horse. "Wolfram," he called, trying to get his brother's attention.

The boy, mounted on his usual white steed, turned to him, signaling that he was listening. At the moment he didn't much feel like talking, but upheld his dignity and spoke when spoken to, "Yes, Weller?"

"Were you with Yuuri last night?"

The blonde pouted disbelievingly, "what do you think?"

"I'm glad," Conrad smiled, "its good that he'll have something to remember when he's lonely. This is harder for him than the rest of us."

"Of course it is, if we die, we die together. But he…he will be alone."

At this moment Gwendal joined the conversation, having reined his horse over to join his siblings. "I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Wolfram. Knowing our situation we may all die alone."

"What are you talking about?" The prince was now concerned.

"Their going to split us up."

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Yuuri fingered the soft fabric of the blindfold subconsciously, staring across the room at the far wall. He needed a plan. He could not just sit back and let this war go out of his hands. If he was sending his people to fight, their king should be going with them.

But what could he do? The aristocrats had already firmly expressed their opposition to the king's partaking in the fighting. None of them would help him. Nor could he look to Greta, she was still only a child. He stood, dropping the piece of cloth onto the bedspread and striding to the window. From it he could see Nicola playing with her child.

What he would give to have a family of his own. Greta was getting older, and soon would be finding her own husband. Being human she was not granted with the long lifespan that the demon's obtained. Yet he and Wolfram could have children… Gunter had told him that pure Mazoku men were pregnable. They could live a peaceful life as father and mother…or father and father. That would be confusing for the baby.

Turning to go he slipped on something silky, falling backwards onto the hardwood floor. Yuuri cursed how clumsy he was, rubbing his head and searching for what he had tripped on. It was his wig…the one he used when he couldn't be recognized by that people.

Yuuri had found his plan.


	5. Chapter 5: Scars

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: as I said, this chapter is darker then most, but its not too bad.

Chapter 5: Scars

Wolfram glared at his wrists now soaked in blood. They were still too beautiful, too delicate and pale. They were like a woman's. He hated being beautiful. It was had become an excuse for all the other soldiers to treat him like dirt or grab his ass. All his life he had been 'beautiful' and 'fragile.' Never was he given credit for his talent with a sword, or even his intellect. Ever since he was a boy, he wanted to be a normal knight, like his brothers.

He bit his pale lip as the blade made another gash over his vein then fell to the floor. He didn't need to call for help; they would heal in a matter of moments. If the wounds were small enough, a mazoku's body could heal itself. If it couldn't, Wolfram would have died long before Yuuri ever showed up. Cutting was a way of destroying his beauty, even if it was just for a few lingering moments. He could be normal.

His eyes drooped closed, his body having been drained of all energy. He longed for Yuuri, to feel that comforting warmth on his chest. Here in the camps it was cold; lonely, barren and cold. He fought for a moment to breath, dredging through his mind for the image of his king as he slept in Wolfram's arms. So peaceful… so pure.

Voices called in the distance as the blizzard outside his tent rage on. Men rushed to secure supplies and give aid to those who had already been injured within the weeks of leaving Shin Makoku. Although he hated admitting it, Wolfram had not been ready for battle. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of his friends being blown away by blasts of flame, the element which had been his comrade.

By then the gashes on his wrists had faded, leaving his skin unmarred whatsoever. He cursed himself once more before drifting off to sleep.

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Conrad gripped a piece of paper in his hand, trying hard to read it as the wind blew loudly past his ears. Intermittently he had to stop and move to another spot in order to prevent his feet from being buried in snow. But soon enough he had taken full extent of the message: the king had gone missing.

Gunter had left him for a few moments when he returned to find their leader gone. According to the letter he had scoured every inch of the castle grounds, but to no avail, there was no trace of Yuuri whatsoever. Even Ulrike was unable to find him with her powers.

The man stood a moment, unsure of what to do next. He could not go after his godson in this storm; he himself would more likely end up dead in that circumstance. Nor could he abandon his battalion. Not knowing what plan of action to take, he headed for the tent which he shared with his two brothers.

What he found confused him. Wolfram lay sleeping in a mass of blankets on the floor, his naked shoulders revealed to the frosty night air. Beside him was a bloody knife. Normally this would be suspicious, but after looking over the boy and listening to his breathing, Conrad determined he was fine, and proceeded without question to prepare for sleep. Yet, just to be sure, he took the blade for safe keeping. His little brother could hurt himself with something like that.

Just then the blonde muttered something in his sleep and kicked his leg out, revealing much more than Conrad had wanted to see. Amused, the man laughed and readjusted his sibling's blankets as a mother would often do.

It was at that time that Gwendal finally returned from his fight with some of the horses who had gone haywire on account of the weather. Luckily he had been successful, but had not escape without a black hoof shaped bruise on his chest. Solemnly Conrad handed him the letter, signaling for him to stay silent, for Wolfram was already asleep.

If looks could kill, the one on Gwendal's face after reading the message would have buried the whole army six feet under. In war, to lose your king was the worst move possible, just as in a game of chess.

-

-

-

Wolfram twisted in his sleep to scenes of men and women going up in flames. _Screams filled his head as beads of sweat dripped down his cheeks. _

_Slowly he made his way through the burning chaos to a lone figure. As he looked up what he saw nearly made his heart shatter: a corpse chained to a metal cross, its body ripped and torn by swords. As he grew closer, he saw him. It was Yuuri. _

The blonde shot up screaming, startling his elder brothers out of their light slumber. Wolfram gripped the pillow so hard his knuckles turned a rosy shade of pink. "Yuuri! Yuuri!" His screams were muffled as he buried his face into the blankets as if he could find his lover hidden within them.

Warm arms gripped his shoulders, trying to pry him away from the sheets and hand him some water. Slowly the boy slumped weakly against Conrad, allowing him to rub his shoulders and assure him that Yuuri was safe. Gwendal could not bring himself to look Wolfram in the eye; they had not yet told him about the letter.

"What did you see, Wolf?" His motherly voice was slightly uncharacteristic, especially during war times.

The prince shook his head, trying to make everything clear. He didn't want to remember it. "Nothing, Weller, I just….I miss Yuuri."

The man nodded, picking his words carefully. He could remember having to comfort Wolfram like this when he was very small. "You'll see him again soon." He flinched at how he was treating Wolfram like an innocent child. But the white lies came automatically. At the moment all he wanted to do was stop his brother's tears. After tonight, he knew, he would never be able to make any reference to this moment; for it would damage the boy's pride beyond repair when he knew all Wolfram wanted to be was a man.

Gwendal avoided joining the conversation and pretended to go back to sleep.

-

-

-

Cobalt leaned back in his leather armchair. From where he sat he could see through the large windows of his office to the training grounds for his armies. He watched as the men ran through obstacles and fought mercilessly in duels to the death. Survival of the fittest, that was the motto as well as the mind set of humans. The weak were no allowed to live.

Yet that was not necessarily Cobalt's reasoning for war. He had his own plan of action based mostly around revenge. Long standing hate for the demons had wracked his every thought. Standing, he glanced over to a bed in the corner of the room. Red curtains concealed the face of its inhabitant, revealing only one pale arm wrapped loosely in bandages.

"Fie," he whispered. There was no answer, and he hadn't expected one. Fiacre hadn't _truly _spoken in 3 years, nor had he opened his eyes. Was he dead? Emotionally yes. His mind couldn't function. In a sense he was worse off then those who were fully departed. His body lived, but his soul was now locked away in the form of a tiny flame on that candlestick beside the bed. "I will get revenge for what they did to you."

Just then the fire flickered, a soft voice emanating from its small heat, "_I don't want you to, Cobalt. I don't like it when you hurt people. " _


	6. Chapter 6: Lost

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou; I do however own Cobalt and the new character of Fiacre or 'Fi'

Chapter 6: Lost

Yuuri winced as his horse thrust itself over a fallen log. Clumsily he ducked branches and bushes, his skin already scratched and bloody. He didn't exactly know where he was going, but he knew that Wolfram had been sent to the north, so therefore he would go north.

Currently disguised in a short blonde wig and a leather eye patch, he was unrecognizable. In fact, to his good fortune, he looked a great deal older. No, he assured himself, not even Wolfram will recognize me.

-

-

-

Meanwhile, that very Wolfram was sitting in a rickety chair watching the remains of Gunter's letter burn. How could Yuuri have gone missing so quickly? How could the humans have taken him so soon? In his mind there was no doubt of this 'Cobalt's' guilt.

As a spark popped and crackled off of the small pile of ashes Wolfram swore to himself, if they had harm a hair on his lover's head, he would kill them all.

At that moment Conrad entered the tent, his little brother looked to him for good news, but the elder just looked away. There was still no sign of their king. Wolfram slammed his fists on the desk and stood, "how the hell could this happen?"

"They are trying, Wolfram."

The blonde looked infuriated, "well they aren't trying hard enough. Yuuri doesn't know how to survive out there! He's never been on his own in this world. If I had been there I-,"

Conrad looked him square in the face, "you would have been killed in order for them to get the king." With that he went about collecting certain documents he had come to pick up. Wolfram stared at the floor having been shot down. His brother was right. His brother was always right.

It was then that Gwendal entered, announcing that the army would be on the move the next morning. However, they wouldn't all be going in the same direction.

-

-

-

The smell of smoke and death hung in the air like a thick mist. It was disgusting. Yuuri stood dumbfounded amongst the remains of a battlefield, for the first time looking face to face with death. Bodies lay mangled and mutilated on the ground as small flames burned away, the ash swirling into the cherry red sky.

Immediately frightened, he began to search for familiar faces, for Gwendal, or Conrad, or…., gods forbid, Wolfram. However he found no one.

Some of the corpses were charred beyond recognition, but something in his heart told him it wasn't those he loved. There, amongst the remains of men who had loyally gone to their death for him, he fell to his knees. Tears came instinctively. He had not known these people, but he was the only one there to weep for them.

He wondered if they had been frightened, if they had been scared to die. The cold reality was that they had probably been terrified, but he hoped that just maybe they were at peace. He knew that death in war was not glorified like in the movies. It was harsh and gut-wrenching.

But at least now he knew he was getting closer. The army could not be too far ahead.

-

-

-

Wolfram paced up and down the rows and Conrad shouted orders to the men. They had been training since the early morning and now the hot sun of high noon burned their backs. They ran through obstacle courses, practiced fist fighting, and toned their bodies to the necessary state for war. The blonde could remember, he had done it before about twenty years ago…..

-

_Rain pelted the ground as Wolfram's aching body dropped to the ground once more. His bare chest covered in mud and large cuts he forced himself up again, looking his opponent in the face. The boy was older then him, taller, and an aristocrat like himself. The boy's fists were covered in blood, his own as well as the blood from Wolfram's mouth._

_He thrust his arm out once again, knocking Wolfram square in the jaw. The blonde scrambled backwards, but managed to stay standing on his quivering legs. Using all his strength, he hurled his thin body at the man's waist, tackling him to the ground which he had become so familiar with. _

_Fists flew in a furious rage, each boy trying to find an open moment in order to strike the other. Wolfram found himself pinned beneath his heavy mass, fists pounding into his stomach. A cough of blood burst from his mouth and everything went black._

-

Wolfram then turned to watch his elder brother. When I charge of the soldiers he transformed from the caring father figure to a merciless tyrant thinking only of victory. It was at these moments that the two brothers did not know one another, nor did they recognize each other's existence.

-

-

-

Cobalt searched through the stack of papers on his desk. He was looking for something. A letter he had received not long ago from a spy he had in the Demon Capital. It held the information he needed in order to win this battle. It held the Demon King's weakness.

Frustrated he thrust a pile of books to the floor, not even flinching as the action succeeded in making a tremendous noise. Just then the candle sparked to life, "_Cobalt…, what are you doing this early in the morning?"_ The voice was sleepy and soft, similar to that of a young boy's.

Cobalt looked up at the bed with Fiacre's body lying in it suddenly ashamed. "I'm sorry Fi, did I wake you?"

The Fiacre hesitated, _"not exactly…, it's not like I can really sleep in this form." _As if to prove a point, the small flame flickered and snaked around the small wick.

The man sighed, his face falling. He moved across the room and sat on the bed. It had been so long since he had looked at his beloved's face. There the human king lay, his ice blue eyes permanently closed. He looked like a sleeping angel, with long locks of his silver hair falling in his face from where they had been freed from his high ponytail. Through the beautiful white tresses twined small threads of beads and chains of coins, adornments of royalty which blended in with his soft curls. He was truly divine.

Cobalt smiled and leaned in to brush his cheek, "I'm sorry, my love. I promise you wil get your body back soon. No matter what it takes."

"_What do you mean by that?"  
_

"A lover for a lover, my dear, it is simple. They took you away from me, so I will find the king's equivalent and take it for myself. In fact, I believe I already know my target."

"_Cobalt you can't! That's cruel!."_

"All's fair in love and war. I just happened to be talented at both." Before Fiacre could protest, Cobalt left in search of the letter. He now remember that he had left it in the study. He would soon have all of the pieces in his game at the right position for his attack. Before too long he would have his enemy's onedesire, and oh what he would do then. Why it would be a cuase for celebration, it is not often that youhave the demon king at your mercy.As he made his way down the dark hallway he smiled, "soon we will meet again, Yuuri."


	7. Chapter 7: Equality

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: Well this 'experiment' certainly has gotten far. Thank you so much for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. I'm sorry that I don't say that often enough.

Chapter 7: Equality

_Yuuri clutched a handful of Wolfram's golden hair in his trembling fingers, panting softly into the crook of the man's pale neck. Heat. So much so that Yuuri felt as if he were drowning in it, unable to breath. At moments pain overwhelmed him, sending small tears down his cheeks, only to be wiped away by kind, gentle hands. "Wolfram I…" but his breathy words were broken off by a passionate kiss._

"_No," his lover's soft voice murmured, "You aren't ready to tell me that yet, Yuuri." _

_-_

_Yuuri woke to a bright light, yet it was not the sun that greeted him, instead it was the moon, the ghostly deity that sat as the crown jewel of the starry night. It was cold, the place beside him empty, yet Wolfram's warmth still remained. Suddenly fearful he sat up, clutching weakly at the sheets as his eyes darted around the room. _

_Finally they fell upon a figure in the window seat humming softly. In the glaring contrast between the shadows and the moonlight Yuuri could not see his face, yet the song was all too familiar. A gentle lullaby, one that only Wolfram knew. Slowly the man turned to him, his face still concealed by darkness, yet his emerald eyes shone softly as he whispered, "I'm right here, Yuu-chan, go to sleep." _

-

-

-

Yuuri trembled as a rush of wind whistled through the woods. Wolfram was not there, he was not lying beside him upon the earth beneath a high oak tree. He was alone. Alone with words he had wanted to tell Wolfram some time ago. Smiling instinctively he closed his eyes and whispered, "I love you."

He knew that no one could hear him, and that above all Wolfram would not. But he said it, perhaps to prove that he could.

Another gust of wind rattled the branches of the surrounding brush. Yuuri shivered, his nightly fears were beginning to creep back into his mind. Every sound transformed into heavy footsteps…into laughing and jeering. From his pocket he withdrew a familiar sash, Wolfram's blindfold. Timidly he nuzzled it, relishing in the welcoming softness. He could smell his lover. The smell of lavender, and of roses, and of the castle gardens.

-

-

-

The following afternoon he finally arrived in camp. It was a series of blue, green, and beige tents sprawled out uniformly within a small valley between two hills. Men passed by carrying barrels of water or leading tall horses towards the makeshift barn. Luckily no one seemed to pay him any mind.

That was until he ran into someone. Yuuri quickly tried to apologize, saying that he hadn't been looking, but the face that confronted his nearly made his heart stop. Wolfram, already looking as if he hadn't gotten any sleep, glared at him, his emerald eyes piercing Yuuri's very soul. It was like staring Satan straight in the face, if not worse. It was a look the king was all too familiar with.

"Watch where you're going!" The blonde snapped, rubbing his temples from frustration, "its people like you who are the reason wars are lost." Each word was sharp and precise.

Although Yuuri knew Wolfram wouldn't have said that to _him_ knowingly, it stung. The man's insults had a way of getting under your skin. It had been a long time since his lover had said such a thing to him, and Yuuri had grown unaccustomed it. Before he could defend himself, Wolfram stomped away towards the main tent.

It was only then, watching the man walk away from him, did Yuuri notice Wolfram's limp. For every step was an uneven rebound, making the prince sway slightly. The king did not know if this was a new or old injury.

-

-

-

The king had been assigned to share a tent with a boy named Thomas. They were very similar, each extremely shy yet headstrong about their beliefs. As Yuuri was walking through the camp he smiled, thinking over a joke his new roommate had told him. But his peaceful night walk was soon interrupted.

Soft sobbing reached his ears. Weeping intermittently broken by mumbled words he could not hear. Instinctively he moved towards the source of the noise, hoping to be of some comfort. Yet he stopped, now close enough to recognize the voice. Wolfram, having hidden behind a pile of crates quietly cried to himself.

"Yuuri…," he whispered, "Yuuri where are you….," he then muffled his voice into his hands. His shoulders trembled as wiped his face.

Tears brimmed in Yuuri's eyes. The king started to move towards him, but thought against it. He couldn't give himself away that fast, not now when he had come this far. He covered his mouth to cover the sound of his own sobbing. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone, especially not Wolfram.

It seemed as if he had not thought this through all the way. He had not considered what would happen if the others found out he had gone missing. In fact he had not considered many things. He had been thinking only in the moment, a sign of his lingering childishness. It was true, he was not yet an adult.

When he looked up once again Wolfram was gone.

-

-

-

Cobalt examined the small portrait in his hand then looked to the messenger. "So you are sure this is the king's lover?"

The man nodded professionally, "yes sir, Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld, sir."

Cobalt rolled his eyes. "I know his name, I need to be certain. This plan cannot fail or else this whole kingdom will fall." Striding across the room, he turned his attention to the map that adorned the wall. He traced the Safris River with his finger. Stopping in between two mountain ranges. "They are here…at the valley. If we can take them by surprise, Wolfram will be ours for the taking…."

"No one would expect it, Sir…"

"Shut up, ingrate," Cobalt snapped, "that's the point. What good would it do us if they knew we were coming? Why don't we just send them an invitation to dinner? How 'bout that?" The man shuffled his feet nervously. The general sighed exasperated, "get out, I want to be alone."

"_Cobalt, don't do this. They've done nothing to you." _Once again Fiacre pleaded with him. He hated war and suffering, especially if it was on his behalf. _"Hurting them won't help anybody!"_

"They need to pay."

"_What's happened to you? You never used to be like this. Where's the kind, gentle man I fell in love with? I want him back." _The voice was quivering and childlike. It acted as a reminder of how young Fiacre was when he fell victim to a Mazoku wizard three years ago.

Cobalt considered his lover's words. "I'm sorry that you miss him. But he's gone."

Fiacre spoke no further. It was useless.

-

-

-

Lying in his tent, Wolfram cuddled into the blankets, trying to convince himself that they were Yuuri's arms, snaking over his shoulders. But they were scratchy and unfamiliar, not velvety like his lover's tepid skin. He had given up on trying to sleep. He hadn't slept in days.

He couldn't really say that his brothers had slept either. They had wandered in and out inconsistently throughout the night, going nowhere in particular. But now they were gone, leaving him in utter silence.

Gwendal had gone to Svelera, where the fighting was the most brutal, and Conrad to the West. Wolfram would stay heading north. 20 years ago it wouldn't have mattered. Being alone was nothing unusual and making friends in the army was never promoted.

But this war was different, this time Wolfram had something to live for.


	8. Chapter 8: Help

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Chapter 8: Help

The camp woke to the sounds of screams and cannons. Soldiers scurried from their tents in search of weapons and armor. The smell of burning ash and gunpowder filled the air. It was an ambush.

Wolfram sprang from his bed, donning his uniform and sword as fast as possible. Within the confusion he could see flames rising upon the eastern ridge. Sprinting quickly to his horse, he mounted, and began his attempt to get the soldiers in order.

Yuuri pulled Thomas out of the way as a freed horse galloped past them. More cannon shots rang throughout the valley. They scrambled for their swords and coats as more bodies hurried past. Slowly the men became more organized, forming longs columns and marching forward towards their enemies. The king quickly fell into line with the rest of them.

Wolfram, taking control of the situation, split the army in half, taking one side himself down into the valley, and sending the rest with another noble to the high ridge. Constantly he barked out orders, commanding the men to stay together and to watch all directions. Yet the farther he drew away, the harder it was to hear his commands over the din of weaponry. Yuuri immediately switched to the side following Lord Bielefeld.

The enemies were cloaked in black, and Yuuri couldn't see their faces, but upon arriving at the riverbed, the morbid dance of battle began. Swords met swords as they struggled for dominance, and horses cantered by, some having already lost their riders. Smoke swirled through the air, choking the fighting boys.

Another mountain soldier swung at Wolfram. The blonde raised his sword to defend, however his horse shied from the other knight. This had been his attacker's goal, suddenly the prince found himself surrounded; he had backed up into their trapped. He cursed under his breath, trying to think of a way out.

Yuuri scanned the battlefield for the familiar blond head. Finally he spotted Wolfram in the distance. The boy was surrounded. A sinking feeling grew in his stomach. Everything the soldiers were doing seemed directed at getting the prince separated from the others. Yuuri finally realized it, their target was….Wolfram.

Just then, as the king moved to help his lover, he was struck from behind. Everything went black.

-

-

-

Yuuri's head ached as he slowly opened his eyes. He quickly shut them once again as they were met by the glaring sunlight. The stench of rotting flesh intermixing with thick smoke filled his nostrils, forcing a rough cough from his lungs. Gradually he sat up swaying slightly. His arms and face were covered in scratches and dirt stung in his wounds.

Weakly he began his descent up the hill towards the camp, slipping intermittently in the wet mud. He refused to look at the corpses that littered the ground. As he reached what was left of the base, his eyes filled with tears. A few pathetic tents stood, on the verge of collapsing. The bodies of men had been piled in a rut, waiting to be cremated, the wounded and dying lay against rocks and poles, unable to receive treatment.

Three nobles, Lord Zachary, Lord Heathcliffe, and Lord Nero stood over a table, each man arguing about their current situation. Yuuri's voice was so soft and weak they almost didn't hear him.

"Another survivor!" Lord Zachary's eyes lit up. He had a boyish façade and looked no older than Yuuri. "Please, come sit down!"

"You're too soft, Zachary," Nero snorted, he was the complete opposite of the younger noble. He had a heavy build and a stern unwelcoming face. "This boy is no more special than any of the others."

The king ignored their bantering. "W-where's Lord B-Bielefeld." He stammered restlessly as he tried to get the strength to move forward. The men's faces fell upon hearing the prince's name.

Heathcliffe was the one to break the silence. "They took him hostage. He's probably dead by now."

"Don't say that!" Zachary looked at him sadly, "there's still hope." Then he turned to Nero, "there's still hope….right?" Nero didn't answer.

"It's all my fault," Yuuri whispered, crying freely.

"What are you talking about?" Heathcliffe watched him suspiciously.

Yuuri pulled the wig from his head, allowing his black hair to tumble from its casement.

-

-

-

Cobalt smiled as his army flowed once again through the gates of the city. They had been successful in their mission. Even from a distance he could see the figure of Lord Bielefeld slung across the withers of a stocky horse. The boy's blonde head swayed slightly with the movement of the steed's legs.

"_How could you do this, Cobalt?"_ Fiacre sounded as if he would be close to tears, had he still obtained his human form.

"It is quite simple my love, it is equality." Cobalt had lost all emotion save for anger since his beloved's accident. "I will not allow the Mazoku to go unpunished for the crimes they have committed."

"_It is not equality, it is cruelty!"_ Once again the king pleaded with him, "_the person who did this to me was only one person, not the whole kingdom. Not Lord Bielefeld."_

"Have patience, Fi, everything will soon unfold and you will see my plan." Cobalt then averted his gaze to the door as a soldier entered and saluted him.

"M'lord, we have retrieved him."

"Wonderful," the general murmured, half lost in thought. "Put him in one of the cells until I am ready to make use of him."

-

-

-

Wolfram squinted his eyes drowsily, where was he? It was dark, cold, and damp. From where he lay on a hard stone floor he could see bars. He was in a dungeon. As he tried to sit up, he found his ankle was chained to the wall. He knew better than to struggle with it, however, even so he gave it an unenthusiastic tug.

Pain shot through his head where he had been struck. The men had caused him to be thrown by his horse; then took their chance to take him away. But where was it that they had taken him. The only window stood approximately 6 feet above his head, permitting a small stream of light to dance across the gray stone.

His free leg was twisted at an odd angle, presumably broken. As the prince attempted to move it he screamed in pain. His entire body was beaten and cut. He lay down once again, trying to stop the world from spinning. "Yuuri…" he murmured, "please save me."


	9. Chapter 9: Going Astray

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Chapter 9: Going Astray

"_Ittai," Yuuri moaned as Wolfram's knee hit him in the side. The prince was still stumbling, trying to figure out what part of Yuuri's body he was touching exactly. He was half tempted to tear the damn blindfold off his face when the king's soft voice reached his ears. "Sorry, I should complain… you never do. Arigatou, Wolf."_

_Wolfram sighed softly and located Yuuri's soft lips, touching them with his forefinger gently. "What did I tell you, Yuuri?"_

_The king sucked his lover's pale finger for a moment before responding in a breathy whisper, "never say sorry." Wolfram smiled and successfully pressed his mouth to Yuuri's. As their passion grew stronger, the boy moaned, unknowingly giving the prince's tongue the opportunity to spar with his own. "Wolfram…"_

_The blonde grinned, "Yes, your majesty?"  
_

"_I love you."_

_The prince drew away from him for a moment, considering his response. "Well…of course you do, Your Majesty."_

_The king fought back a laugh as he playfully struck Wolfram's thigh, "What is that supposed to mean?" But instead of responding, Wolfram chose instead to tease one of Yuuri's pink nipples, sucking and nipping at it. The boy moaned at the new onslaught of emotion. Wolfram struggled to keep control over his own desires as the king whimpered in his arms._

"_Please, Wolfram…" Yuuri murmured, his eyes closed and his head thrown back slightly._

_Normally Wolfram would have made it more difficult for him. He would have made him demand it of the prince; however tonight the blonde could sense a stronger need in his lover. "I love you, Yuuri," he whispered into his lover's ear as he began preparing Yuuri for the soon impending pleasures they were sure to unleash. _

-

-

-

Wolfram drifted in and out of consciousness as he was dragged by human soldiers through the hallways of a foreign castle. His body was weak and his mind kept drawing back into the pleasant memories of his beloved Yuuri. He was sure that he could hear his king's soft pants and feel his warm breath washing gently over his skin.

Just then he was flung onto a hard stone floor. His head spun far too drastically and he was unable to stand. Therefore he lay there helplessly, like a rag doll that had been dropped by a child.

Voices soon reached his ears. Words like war, revenge, and torture rang in his ears. A fear grew in his heart as he sluggishly tried to put together the pieces of this deadly puzzle. Weakly he opened his eyes, being only able to catch a glimpse of a tall man clad in a navy blue coat before they fell shut once again. The sounds surrounding his drifted away as he once again succumbed to his exhaustion.

-

-

-

Cobalt rolled his eyes as he noticed Wolfram's body go limp once again on the floor of his office. Something inside of him longed to kick the prince; he himself had suffered worse wounds before and had stayed conscious. But he left the body alone for the time being. He still had no use for Wolfram, seeing as the demon king had not yet been located. He had merely moved the blonde from the prison in order to prevent him from dying.

One of the castle guards entered the room. "You're Excellency, his Majesty is asking for you."

Cobalt eyed him, "did he state what it is that he wants?"

The small messenger shook slightly. "N-no sir, Lord Fiacre merely asks for your presence in his chambers. I do not know what it is he wishes to speak to you about." The general dismissed the terrified servant and adjusted his uniform.

"He probably just wants to beg me to spare the demon king's whore," he spat, nudging Wolfram roughly with his heel. "What a shame, it seems that you won't be waking for a while. I suppose I'll just have my fun with you later, _Lord Bielefeld._" Laughing he circled around the prince's body, examining him carefully. "Well at least we know that the king has eyes to choose a pretty boy." With that he turned and laughed the room, instructing two awaiting soldiers to keep a close eye on the prisoner.

-

-

-

Meanwhile, Yuuri, broken up over the loss of Wolfram, shifted through his lover's things within the large tent. His eyes roamed over the mussed bed sheets and tattered clothing that had been flung across the floor. Lifting one of Wolfram's wrinkled white shirts off the ground, he hugged it close to his body, stroking it tenderly, trying to imagine that it was his beloved. But to no avail, the limp piece of cloth lacked the tepid warmth of Wolfram's body.

Just then Conrad entered. The other nobles had sent for him when they had discovered the king in their camp. Yuuri tensed, he had tried to hide from his godfather since the man arrived that morning.

Conrad started softly, not wanting to upset the boy further. Yet he needed scolding. Many people had gotten hurt due to the king's risky behavior. "What were you thinking?" His voice was gentle yet stern. "You could have been killed. You haven't been properly trained."

"I j-just wanted to help," Yuuri whispered. The boy's soft sobbing melted the man's anger.

His godfather wrapped an arm around his shoulders. There would be more time for lecturing later. "Are you hurt?"

The king shook his head, save for a bump on his head he was fine.

"Are you hungry?"

Again Yuuri shook his head. He didn't really feel anything except for sadness. He didn't want food or medicine. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was before the damn war had started.

"I'm glad that you are safe, Yuuri. But for now you must return to the palace, you will be well protected there."

Yuuri jumped up, "I can't! I have to help you find Wolfram."

His godfather straightened, crossing his arms solemnly, "out of the question. You have already come too close to danger I will not allow you to get caught in the crossfire again. I'm taking you back tomorrow morning."

"Conrad!"

"My mind is made up, Your Majesty."


	10. Chapter 10: Secrets

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Chapter 10: Secrets

"Stop squirming, you're cutting your pretty wrists," Cobalt smirked, as he watched Wolfram painfully writhe on the floor, "you know it's useless anyway." The blonde proceeded to ignore him until a pain shot through his spine from his broken leg. "I told you," the general sighed, "for now, your mine."

Wolfram's green eyes then fell upon Cobalt. "Who the hell are you?"

"Tsk, what a dirty mouth you've got Lord Bielefeld. Now, let's not waste time with introductions. You need only know me as your captor, anything else is trivial." His eyes seemed to pierce Wolfram's inner thoughts as he spoke with an icy, distant voice. He wasn't human; he couldn't be; something about him didn't seem alive.

The prince spat a mouthful of blood onto the marble floor in an act of disgust. Yet this only brought a sharp kick to his bruised side.

"It is not a good time for you to be insubordinate, my dear friend." Cobalt took a seat in a large leather armchair and examined the boy for a moment. "I can see why the king liked you; pretty and unthreatening….it all makes sense."

"What are you talking about? Don't speak as if you know Yuuri!"

"Oh my prince, but I do. I know his darkest secret." The man relished the torture he placed upon Wolfram.

The blonde jerked at this statement, "you couldn't!" Wolfram glared. Cobalt was toying with him now, rubbing his weaknesses in his face.

"Oh no?" Moving to the window, Cobalt turned his back to Wolfram. "Tell me, Lord Bielefeld, has Yuuri ever told you _why _he needed the blindfold? I'd be very interested to know your answer."

Wolfram's heart seemed to stop and nearly shattered into a million pieces at the idea that this man could know what he had so patiently waited to hear from Yuuri. The king had promised that he would tell Wolfram first and foremost. Could it be possible that Yuuri had broken his promise? Or perhaps they were holding him captive…. "Where's Yuuri! What have you done to him?"

"Why nothing, of course, the king is still in the wind. But don't you worry, as soon as he's located your precious Yuuri will be joining you."

"Then how did you…."

"You're beginning to bore me, Lord Bielefeld. You're so predictable. Now I'm sure you want to know how I know about Yuuri's precious secret." He took a moment to laugh, seemingly dazing off into past memories, "well for now that will have to remain a secret."

-

-

-

Conrad entered Yuuri's tent the next morning to take him back to Covenant Castle. As expected the king was less than agreeable.

"I'm not going," the boy announced, clinging to the chair situated in the corner.

"Your majesty I do not have time for games."

"You don't understand, Conrad, I have to help you find Wolfram." The king pleaded with his godfather. "It's my fault this happened….I have to help…" his voice drifted off slightly as he tried to prevent himself from crying for the fiftieth time that night.

Conrad sighed, placing his large palms on Yuuri's thin shoulders, "I understand quite well, your majesty, but I cannot allow you to be put in danger any longer."

"I won't get in the way, I promise!"

"That may be so. Yuuri…think for a moment, what would Wolfram rather have you do?" His amber eyes held Yuuri's sternly.

"Rush to his rescue?" Yuuri attempted meekly.

"Even you know that isn't true."

"What if it's an order," the king whispered, not daring to look into Conrad's kind face. Never before had he resorted to using his power to get what he wanted. It felt wrong to be demanding Conrad to bow to his will.

The man, slightly shocked, thought for a moment. "Then, Yuuri, this would be the first time I ever defied a king. My opinion still stands, I will never allow you to be placed in harm's way. Be ready in fifteen minutes." With that Yuuri's godfather departed the tent leaving the king bewildered. He had not expected that response, although he probably should have.

Softly he whispered to himself, "you can't protect me forever."

-

-

-

Wolfram lay on the floor of a strange bedroom alone and dazed. There was nothing sexual about his situation; Cobalt claimed that it would be a bad move to taint his most important dealing chip. However the prince's wrist was chained to the bed as he twisted atop the covers trying to see out the window. Eventually he gave up, resting against the large pillows exhaustedly. A least it wasn't the dungeon.

Just then a flame sprung up on the wick of the candle beside him. Intrigued, Wolfram lifted his golden head. _"I'm sorry,"_ a soft voice whispered. Although a normal man would have been surprised, Wolfram lacked the energy or strength to feel such an emotion.

"Who are you?"

The small fire suddenly grew small, almost as if it were ashamed, _"Oh! I'm sorry, I have forgotten to introduce myself. I am Fiacre."  
_

Wolfram had heard that name before. He nervously bit at a nail on his free hand, a habit he had had since he was very small. In his mind wandered amongst his hidden memories, searching for the name. "You are….the human king?"

"_Yes, indeed I am!"_

"But you're a….candle….."

There was an awkward silence. _"I wasn't always a candle…, I used to have a body. I used to be able to touch and smell things. I was just like you."  
_

"Then what happened?"

"_I angered a Mazoku wizard. To punish me for going against his people he locked my mind and removed me from my physical form. Cobalt saved me from being destroyed. He was once a good man, I swear it! He's just mad…, we were supposed to be married around that time."_

The prince pouted cynically, "So he's upset that he lost his chance for the throne?"

The candle flickered desperately, it's small tongues dancing above the melting wax, _"Cobalt is not like that. He just wants the king to know the pain that he's gone through."_

"So he's punishing someone who has done nothing to harm him?"

"_I cannot deny that…I tried to stop him, but all he feels now is bitterness and hate. I wish there were some way for me to show you what he was really like." _

"Where did he come from?"

"_I am not supposed to say…"_

"Is he even human?"

The spark became so small that Wolfram had to squint his emerald eyes to see it burning away upon the tip of the black wick. From this response the prince knew that he had hit a sore spot. Softly Fiacre spoke, fearing that Cobalt would enter at any moment. _"He is of both kingdoms…"_

-

-

-

_Wolfram, blindfolded, lay his head upon Yuuri's chest, smiling as it moved up and down wit the boy's soft panting. He laughed softly._

"_What is it?" Yuuri's gentle voice reached his ears._

"_I'm listening to your heartbeat." The prince was entranced with the wondrous sound, each beat, each breath was proof that his Yuuri was alive and in his arms. The hand that was stroking his shoulder blades paused for a moment. Wolfram lifted himself from the king, his hand searching for the boy's cheek. "Have I upset you?"_

"_No…, its just that…may I hear your heart, Wolfram?"_

_The prince smiled and gently guided Yuuri's black head to his own chest, moaning softly as the boy's cheek brushed against one of his nipples. To keep his balance Yuuri clung to Wolfram's waist. "What do you think?" The blonde watched him admiringly._

"_It's…beautiful." _

-

-

-

Yuuri did not speak to Conrad during their ride towards Covenant Castle. He refused to. To him the situation was unfair, however not for him. All the time that the nobles spent worrying over him, Wolfram was suffering elsewhere, however where he was, nobody knew.

Lord Zachary shot him an apologetic smile, trying to cheer up his king. The boy was kind, and like Yuuri, thought firstly of others before himself. "Your majesty we will bring him back, I promise."

The boy smiled, but upheld his determination not to speak. Besides he didn't know what there was to say. He was the reason that all of this had happened, long before he ran away from the castle. If he had never shown up in Shin Makoku, none of these terrible things would have ever happened.

"You know your majesty, there is a story….of a knight who is captured by enemy soldiers…" Zachary tried again. Yuuri's response was silence again. "In the story… the knight escapes. Perhaps lord Wolfram will escape!"

Before the king could even consider the possibility, Nero laughed. "You are such a bleeding heart Zachary. You know what humans do with their prisoners. I'll bet his body is lying in a ditch somewhere by now."

"Lord Nero!" Conrad's voice was harsh. He did not wish to hear his brother spoken of in such a way, especially in front of Yuuri. "Do not say such things." Even so, he avoided eye contact with the king. Yuuri's heart sank.

"Wolfram…"


	11. Chapter 11: Reason to Doubt

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: Things are starting to piece together. Please forgive me if this chapter is not as well written, it took me so long to figure out how to put these scenes into actual words, so know that i tried!

Chapter 11: Reason to Doubt

Wolfram woke once again when his attempt to move in his sleep failed thanks to the shackle that chained him to the bed. He cursed under his breath, this was ridiculous. As his strength had been returning, for he had been imprisoned for almost two weeks now, Cobalt began keeping a closer eye on him. He couldn't have Wolfram running off and spoiling his plan.

So he spent his days confined to the bedroom being ridiculed by his captor who had taken to teasing him about Yuuri's secret. It disgusted Wolfram, humans had always disgusted him. To think that part of the man was Mazoku was unbearable.

Just then the door swung open. Ignoring Wolfram's surprise, Cobalt strode to the window and thrust open the curtains, unleashing the awaiting sunlight which burned the Prince's eyes. "I have news for you, Lord Bielefeld."

The blonde was dizzy from the lack of proper food and sleep and blinked as he tried to rid his sight of dots. He swayed slightly and then fell back against the hard mattress. "Surely whatever it is can be of no consequence to me." The general smirked at his adamant insubordination. Something about this Mazoku amused him.

"Oh really, is that so?" The sarcasm dripped from his words, "then you do not care if your king has been found?"

Wolfram's eyes shot open as his body thrust upwards, "no. What have you done to him? If you hurt him I'll-"

"No need for that Wolfram, he has returned home to his castle. Apparently he was disguising himself as a soldier, how pathetic. Boys such as he should know their place." He paused to watch the man's facial expression transform through different emotions, "But it doesn't seem that he has any plans for your rescue… perhaps he sees it as a sacrifice for war."

Tears immediately formed in the blonde's eyes. _No plans to reduce him?_ Then what had he been to Yuuri? Was he just there for sex? His heart took a moment to shatter into dust at the thought that he had been used. But a small ounce of hope still clung inside him.

"_So now…now you have to live, because…if you don't, you'll make your husband cry."_

That's what he had said. So he resolved not to give up. Something just didn't sound right about Yuuri forsaking him. Even if he didn't love him the most, Yuuri would still never abandon anyone in need. "You're lying," Wolfram whispered. "Yuuri cares about me… he _loves _me."

Cobalt raised an eyebrow; the boy was more stubborn than he had thought. "Loves you? My poor boy, if he _loved _you, why did he never tell you about the blindfold? Wouldn't he be able to trust you?"

"He said he wasn't ready. I don't know what you did to make him tell you, but he would have broken his promise to me willingly. I know he wouldn't." His faith in his lover had grown twofold.

At this the man just laughed. It was a malicious laugh, one that shook Wolfram to the core. "Told me? He never did any such thing. Lord Bielefeld, I'm the reason he needs that blindfold."

-

-

-

Yuuri lay meekly between the roots of a large tree within the grounds of the castle. He felt sick. Everything had gone out of his hands, and now he couldn't even help save Wolfram. Why wouldn't anyone allow him to fix what he had broken? Everyone seemed so intent upon protecting him that they couldn't see his mistakes.

That had been something he had loved about Wolfram. Wolfram hadn't been afraid to point out what he was doing wrong, in fact he seemed to find something wrong with him everyday. Yuuri laughed at the memories.

Just then Greta came to sit beside him. "Daddy...is Wolfram coming home?"

Yuuri closed his eyes when he heard his lover's name spoken aloud. It was such a wonderful sound, one that made his heart race. He then looked at his daughter. "Yeah, he's going to come home. I promise."

-

-

-

"_Wolfram," Yuuri watched his lover carefully, trying to read his expression, "are you mad at me?"_

_The blonde attempted to eye him through the blindfold, ceasing his onslaught of kisses upon Yuuri's chest. "No…why would I hate you?"_

_The boy looked away nervously, "because I haven't told you why-"_

_He was interrupted when Wolfram bit his shoulder sharply. "Hennachoko, why would I hate you for that? I don't want you to tell me anything you're not ready to say." He then kissed the area off skin that now bore his teeth marks as an apology. "You're here, Yuuri, and that's all I need."_

"_Wolfram, I swear I haven't told anyone else; you'll be the first, I promise." His voice was desperate as he tried to make up to Wolfram for something he should have felt guilty about._

"_Hush, your majesty, you've already made me that promise."_

-

-

-

Alone once again Wolfram was stuck trying to piece things together in his mind. How could Yuuri know Cobalt? What had Cobalt done to him? Gradually certain things that Yuuri had said started to stand out.

"_I would taint you, because of…I can't"_

"_Would you love me even if you weren't…my first?"_

"Yuuri…what are you hiding from me?" His whisper was soft and broken, "I want to help you." Nothing seemed to make any sense now. His king was so pure, so innocent, so…beautiful, how could anything have 'tainted' him.

"_Your king loves you, Lord Bielefeld."_

Wolfram jumped, having thought he was alone. Turning he was greeted by the small flame that had become his companion. "Fi, you scared me!"

"_I'm sorry. You just looked so sad I thought I should say something. I'm sure his majesty hasn't forgotten about you." _His childish voice brought a delicate smile to Wolfram's flushed face. He rubbed the tears away from his cheeks violently, embarrassed that Fiacre had seen him in such a state.

"That's what I hoped, but then…how does Cobalt know about…."

"_The blindfold?"_

The prince was hesitant, but nodded. "I don't see any connections between them."

There was a moment's silence before Fiacre dared to speak again, having dawned upon something. _"Didn't Lord Yuuri come from Earth?"_

"Yes…but what does that have to do with it?"

"_Lord Bielefeld…Cobalt used to be stationed on Earth."_

-

-

-

Cobalt paced back and forth in his office, glad to have it back to himself. When he discovered that Fiacre had been giving information to Wolfram, he had the prince moved to a different room. He didn't want his precious lover spoiling his fun. From outside he could hear the drill sergeants training his army, grooming them for battle against the Mazoku if his initial plan should fail.

"_Cobalt…why do you torture him? You know that Yuuri is his weakness. It's almost as if you're kicking someone while their down." _Fiacre's flame was stronger today and smoldered brightly upon his wick.

"You've always been so righteous, Fi. Just like the demon king. If only I had been born with such a kind spirit." Cobalt's voice was soft and regretful as his mind wandered through his chaotic past. "Yes…that would have solved everything."

"_Do you really know king Yuuri's secret?"_

"Yes, my dear, indeed I do." It annoyed him how no one seemed to believe that he could know such a thing while in fact it was something that had plagued him for years. It had turned his friend's against him… but it had been a mistake.

"_How?" _ The disembodied voice of the human king seemed as if it were right in his ear as Fi continued to question him.

Cobalt steady his voice as he prepared to respond. "How? Because, dear Fiacre, I'm the one who defiled him."


	12. Chapter 12: Renewed Faith

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I'm sorry that this has taken so long for me to post.

Chapter 12: Renewed Faith

Wolfram flinched as the chain around his neck was yanked mercilessly, sending him awkwardly to the floor. Cobalt rolled his eyes, the prince still hadn't recovered fully and he was now tired of waiting. "I can't get any use out of you if you're in this condition, Lord Bielefeld," he muttered.

"Perhaps I'm lucky then," his prisoner spat, trying to stand once again.

"Oh do you think so?" Cobalt sounded surprised, he watched the boy fall to the ground once more. "Perhaps I shall just get bored with you and have you executed. The guillotine is always fun."

"You disgusting bastard," Wolfram partially groaned as the barely healed break in his leg was twisted the wrong way. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

The blonde glared at him angrily. He was tired of being toyed with, of being left in the dark with only his own thoughts. He wanted truth. "You know what, tell me how you know Yuuri's secret."

The man stopped beside his desk and began shuffling through some of his papers. His prisoner was turning out to be less fun than he expected. How disappointing, he had hoped to find some amusement out of the blonde prince but only found ignorance. "Are you still barking up that tree, Lord Bielefeld? I don't see what it's so gravely important to you."

"Then you must not know what love is," Wolfram chided.

Cobalt stabbed the letter opener he was holding into the surface of his desk and he stood, nearly knocking his chair over. "Don't you ever say that! What could you possibly know about me, you little bitch?" He began to stalk towards the stunned boy but then stopped, regaining his calm façade. "Lord Bielefeld, you just hurt your own cause. Now I don't feel any need to tell you anything. In fact I feel that I should teach you a very important lesson."

Wolfram trembled slightly as Cobalt signaled to the guards and he was led away towards the hallway.

-

-

-

Yuuri sat silently on the end of his bed. He was watching the sun fade away as it fell behind the rugged mountain range. It was bringing in its stead an unwelcome night, one that would further serve to break the king's heart as he would spend those long cold hours alone, helpless to hide from his nightmares.

He wanted to scream at the sun, to demand that it stay for eternity. But more than that he wanted to run to his Wolfram, wherever he was, and hold him, he wanted to save him. But that was just it; he didn't have a clue where to start looking.

Just as he was laying back and finally giving in to sleep, he heard voices from the hallway. He hesitated, having always been a good boy, but pushed away his obedience as he crept towards the door and pressed his small ear to the wooden surface. He shivered at how cold it was.

Conrad spoke first. "What was it you had to tell me?" he sounded distant and distracted.

"We have a guess on the location of Wolfram von Bielefeld, sir," an unfamiliar voice answered. Yuuri suspected that it was a soldier due to his formality. At the mention of Wolfram he listened more carefully.

The man was silent for a moment before answering. "Where do you suspect he is?"

The sound of rustling papers followed then the soldier's confident answer, "Ivory Castle, sir."

"You mean the castle in Songrier?" Conrad's surprised shone through his concern. "What is your evidence? How can we be sure that this is the location of my little brother?" He seemed to stop and think for a moment, "You know we can't send armies out there with extreme evidence."

"But we do have evidence, sir. The notice of war sent to his majesty was signed 'Cobalt Forrester' yes? Cobalt Forrester is the general of the human army who is in residence at the capital of the Human Kingdom, Songrier. If Lord Forrester kidnapped Lord Bielefeld, there would be great reason to suspect that he would keep him in Ivory Castle." The soldier was extremely precise with each word.

"All right then," Conrad murmured softly, "I will go speak with the rest of the nobles. Oh…and please do not tell his majesty. There is no telling what he would do with such information. We have to be sure this is for real."

Their footsteps then echoed of down the hall, both leaving in different directions. Yuuri's was left alone with his conscience. He now had a good idea of where his Wolfram was, the problem was whether or not he could break his promise to Conrad. He had sworn that he would be good and not try anything dangerous again… but could he abandon Wolfram? His head began to spin.

-

-

-

Conrad slammed his fist into the wall, "what do you mean 'we're not going after Wolfram'?" His eyes were cold as he glared at the gathered nobles in the throne room. "We now know where he is! We can't just leave him there!"

"Correction, Lord Weller, you have an _idea _of where he is," Lord Nero answered icily. He seemed to thrive in the hatred he held against Conrad. "It is not a worthy enough cause to send our armies to the Human Capital. That would immediately transform into a suicide mission, Weller, and I'm sorry to say that your little brother is not worth the lives that will be lost."

"So you'll just abandon him there, just like that," Conrad spat.

"Just like that, Weller."

"But that isn't fair, Nero," Lord Zachary cried, lost amongst the group of men due to his small height, "Lord Bielefeld is one of us who has fought just like we have. We owe it to him."

"We owe him nothing, Zachary. Every soldier knows the risk of war when they go into battle. His situation is no different." He seemed to take pride in fighting against his peers. But what gave him the right to decide their next battle movement was his extreme influence on the military force. The army from his land was the largest and the best trained.

"Lord Nero, please, he is the kings lover. Fiancée even. You know as well as I do that he is the future queen of our kingdom." Conrad tried to reason with him.

"That makes no difference, Conrart. He is not yet queen. My answer is the same."

-

-

-

Cobalt laughed as he read the letter that his messenger had delivered to him. He glanced over to Wolfram who sat on the bed nervously. "It seems, my dear Wolfram, that they are not coming for you. They have decided that you are not a worthy cause for bloodshed." He smiled playfully as he set the paper down and watched the horror grow upon the boy's angelic face. "They think they have spoiled my game," Cobalt continued, "but they have done no such thing. As long as the king still wants you back, I hold all the cards." Turn to leave, he patted the prince on the head, the way one would pat a dog. "Have faith, Wolfram, have faith. This isn't over yet."

A single tear rolled down the blonde's cheek. He was alone.


	13. Chapter 13: Until I See You

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: sorry I haven't updated for awhile. My friend has had me busy making a deviantart account which took longer than it should have because she said I couldn't do it unless she was around and then my computer malfunctioned…I know it sounds weird.

Chapter 13: Until I See You

Yuuri stood in the darkness of the castle barn. The only light came from a small lantern which he had luckily remembered to bring from the armory. The light cast dark and strangely shaped shadows amongst the stalls as he tried for once to think things through. He had to travel light, so he had packed food, water, a map, and a blanket. Now he had to choose a steed. "I can't take my own horse...," he whispered to himself as he glanced at Ao, "that would be too obvious. A mistake like that would have me back here in no time."

He then turned to see another familiar creature. Notte, Wolfram's white gelding, eyed him warily from behind his stall door. The horse had never been truly fond of Yuuri and it showed. But the king decided to try, slowly he stepped towards the animal, hand outstretched to pet it's white coat. "Good horsey," he whispered. Notte merely snorted and bit at his fingers. The king quickly withdrew his hand, "alright, lets get this straight," Yuuri looked the horse in the eye, "you don't like me and I don't like you, but I need your help to save Wolfram. So please let me ride you!"

Although extremely out of character for your average horse, Notte seemed to stop and consider his options. It was either help the king, or be given to a different soldier. Finally he nickered and gave in; at least he could get his actual master back. Yuuri smiled triumphantly to himself. He ignored the fact that he had just made a deal with a horse.

"I'm coming, Wolfram."

-

-

-

At the same time, said blonde was being flung into a dungeon cell once again. He was back to square one and he was covered in so many wounds he could hardly move. Not to mention he had lost almost all faith in ever seeing his homeland and his beloved ever again. At the thought of Yuuri, Wolfram's heart began to ache. If he could be granted one last wish before he died in this disgusting hellhole, it would be to see his lover one last time. He wanted to kiss his lips and sleep in his arms. In all honesty he wanted to go back to the way things were before this damn war had started.

Just then the rattle of the dungeon's iron doors caught his attention. Through the musty darkness his eyes could make out the figures of two soldiers dragging along what he assumed to be another prisoner, a prisoner of rather lager stature, or so it appeared. The two men roughly through the person into the cell across from Wolfram, locked the door, and left.

As the heavy weight of the doors slammed shut once again, the blonde tried to shift against the metal bars of his prison. He wanted to get a look at his new neighbor's face. He flinched as he felt a gash in his side reopen and the blood began to stain through the dirty fabric of his shirt. Even so he kept his eyes on the newcomer. As the man shifted on the ground, Wolfram could finally see who it was. His heart nearly stopped.

"G-gwendal!"

-

-

-

_Yuuri bit his lip to keep from screaming as Wolfram prepared his for penetration. The man's fingers seemed to stretch his entire being in slow painful gestures. He knew that the man was being as gentle as he could, but that still couldn't erase the pain. The ache would go away when they became one, when they worshipped one another. Just then Wolfram placed another finger within him. _

_Yuuri cried out, "i-ittai!" As he said this, his head flung back as he squinted his eyes to stops rogue tears from rolling down his cheeks. "Wolfram, i-ittai," he whispered once more. The blonde leaned into close to him, kissing his face and neck. _

"_I know, Yuu-chan, I know. Please, just hold on for me, ok? Or it'll hurt later," his voice was soft and soothing and slowly Yuuri's breathing began to regulate itself again, within it easing the pain. Almost as if it were a reward for being a good boy, Wolfram kiss the kings lips, distracting him as he removed his fingers. "Alright, Yuuri, are you ready?"_

_The boy looked up into Wolfram's face, and although the blindfold concealed the man's emerald eyes, Yuuri knew they were filled with concern. He nodded, "I'm ready."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Yuuri wasn't sure whether he should cry or laugh as he remembered special moments he had shared with Wolfram. His mind wanted to laugh, yet his heart felt as if it were going to shatter. "Wolfram…"

Notte's ears seemed to perk up as he heard the name of his master, but the king just sighed, "no, he's not here. I'm sorry." The horse nickered and returned to watching the overgrown path. Fumbling with the map, Yuuri tried to approximate their location. Although they had been riding for almost 12 hours, it seemed that they still had a longs ways to go. They hadn't even left Demon country yet.

"I wonder how mad Conrad's going to be," Yuuri laughed meekly, trying to cheer himself up. He wouldn't be able to get anything done if he kept living in regrets. "Gunter will probably have a heart attack." He gave up, that didn't seem funny at a moment like this. "Aww man, I'm causing more trouble."

-

-

-

A soldier stood nervously before Conrad. Why did he have to be the bearer of bad news? To make matters worse Lord Weller had just been told that his eldest brother had been captured as well. "What do you have to tell me?" He watched the man frustrated. For once he felt helpless. He was supposed to be everyone's protector, it was what he had promised to do, but he couldn't even save his little brother.

"The M-Maou, h-has gone missing, s-sir." The soldier couldn't help but shake like a rabbit confronted by a rampaging wolf. "We think he went to get Lord B-Bielefeld."

Conrad seemed to freeze as he attempted to comprehend what he had just been told. This whole situation had gone to hell in a hand basket. "What was your first clue," he muttered sarcastically. He had lost his patience.

"W-what are you going to do, L-lord Weller?"

The man turned to the soldier and looked him in the eye, "What do you think I'm going to do? I'm going after him."


	14. Chapter 14: Hold Out Your Hand

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: this is more of a transitional chapter so it may be a little slow. My apologies.

Chapter 14: Hold Out Your Hand

Wolfram shuffled on the floor of his cell trying to sit up, however the shackles on his ankles were making the task quite difficult. Not to mention every inch of his body was injured. The dungeon offered no light to help him; it was just like a dark, dank, tomb where the only sound was the rattling of chains. Finally the prince got himself into a proper position.

Pressing his faces to the bars he called to his brother in the opposite cell. "Gwendal," he hissed, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from the guards. When there was no response he tried again, raising his voice slightly, "G-Gwen-," his weak voice was caught off as he fell into a fit of coughing. Great, now he was getting sick. "Dammit Gwendal, wake up."

There was still no response from his brother, even after two or three more attempts to wake him. The dark haired man's eyes remained closed, his chest heaving slowly with each weak breath. Brokenly Wolfram fell back against the wall, his golden head resting against the cold stone wall. It was then that he began to think to himself, he began to let doubt get to him. Was it hopeless? Was it useless to keep trying?

He closed his eyes, trying once again to fall asleep. Maybe he could die here…and nobody would notice.

-

-

-

Yuuri shivered as night began to fall. The moon was already full and bright in the darkening sky, with only a sliver of blood red dying on the horizon. The king clumsily lifted himself off of Notte's back and dropped to the ground. They would stop here for the night.

Amongst a small alcove of trees Yuuri lay down his blanket and tied the white horse to a large branch. The boy was exhausted, at least, he thought, according to the map they had finally reached the border. Easing down onto the ground Yuuri began his attempt to start a fire. He struck two pieces of flint together, then, having failed, tried again and again. The task would have been so much easier had his fiancée been there. With just a mere flex of his fingers, Wolfram would have had a large blaze eating away at the pile of dry wood the boy had gathered.

Finally a spark lit one of the twigs and a weak flame was born, slowly it became larger, but never reached an inspiring size.

"Notte," Yuuri spoke, wriggling into the thick blanket, the horse nickered softly. The boy turned to look at the steed, "thanks for coming with me."

As would be expected, the creature gave no response. Yuuri smiled weakly and lay back on the ground. He looked up at the moonlight shining in through treetops and sighed, "we're coming, Wolfram."

The moon merely stared down at him.

-

-

-

Gathering the reins, Conrad pushed his horse into a faster gate; he had no choice but to ride at night. As dangerous and ignorant the decision was, it was inevitable. If he wanted any chance of catching up with the king he couldn't waste time.

Stars twinkled over head as Conrad made sure to follow the course of the river, if he stayed by the shore then he was assured light from the moon guiding his way. To venture into the forest would be too dangerous. This brought a fearful thought to the man's mind… what if Yuuri had gotten lost? What if he had gone into the brush and been attacked by animals. Conrad shook his head trying to erase his gruesome imaginings, he had to stay focused.

Just then something on the horizon caught his eye… smoke, swirling up into the blackness and seemingly reaching the face of the moon, arose from behind the menacing forms of trees. Conrad became hopeful, maybe it was Yuuri.

-

-

-

Cobalt slammed his fists down on the wood of his desk; the result was a glass ink bottle shattering upon the tile floor. "What do you mean the demon king has gone missing? They just found him!"

The messenger trembled furiously as he saw his leaders fingers drift closer to a sharp letter opener. "I-I was t-told that he may have r-r-r-runaway from Blood Pledge Castle." He tried to steady his voice. Cobalt didn't respond immediately. Instead he sat, resting his forehead in the palm of his hand. What could this mean…

"Maybe they're hiding him." The servant suggested.

Fi spoke now, _"Not likely… that's not the way the Mazoku do things." _

"Then could it have something to do with the fact that we have his fiancee?" The man looked over at Cobalt questioningly.

Suddenly Cobalt began to laugh, "that bastard….," the soldier looked at him in confusion. Cobalt's laughing seemed to escalate, "he thinks that he can turn the tables in his favor…" He stood again and gazed out the window. "Well, I'll tell you what, Yuuri, this is my game, and your times almost up."

-

-

-

"_Yuuri," Wolfram's voice was soft as he shook his lover awake. The king groaned and buried his face into the pillow. _

"_Five more minutes, Wolfram." The boy muttered, his words muffled into the mattress. The blonde smiled at his childishness, yet the prince was impatient. The sight of Yuuri's tan skin and mussed hair aroused him for a mysterious reason and he couldn't block naughty fantasies from plaguing his mind. There were so many things he wanted to try, so many ways he wanted to touch his beloved. It seemed, Wolfram had found, that when one was in love, nothing could stop them from feeling desire. _

"_I don't know if I can wait five minutes," he whispered sensually into the king's ear. As his fiancée lay upon him, Yuuri could feel Wolfram's need become very profound. The blonde drew in closer to the boy's lips, "I want to make love to you."_

_The king shifted beneath the weight of the man's body, and he heard Wolfram moan slightly. Like always Yuuri gave in, turning over to look into the prince's face. Softly, almost as if he were ashamed he whispered, "do you have it?" His eyes avoided his lover's._

_Yet Wolfram grinned triumphantly, revealing the sash from beneath the blankets. He turned his back to Yuuri so that the boy could tie it on. The you king sat up to do so, yet as he did, he gently pulled the blonde back against him, delighting in the feel of their skin touching one another's. He pressed his lips to the back of Wolfram's neck and sighed, "I love you…" _

_-_

_-_

_-_

Yuuri woke at the sound of his own sobbing. Quickly he sat up, wiping away the tears he hadn't even known were falling. Memories of Wolfram we taking hold of his every thought. It was almost like nothing else mattered.

At this thought he shook his head, of course other things mattered…his people mattered, Conrad mattered…. then why was this the only thing he could think about now? Even with the war… his thoughts first and foremost were Wolfram. He pulled his knees closed to his chest, how had this happened? Since when was everything in his life based around one person….


	15. Chapter 15: I Want to See You

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Chapter 15: I Want to See You

Gwendal's head seemed to be ringing; the sound of swords clashing and men screaming appeared to be trapped within his mind, causing a splitting headache that threatened to be the death of him.

He remembered little of how he had fallen, or even how he had been captured. In fact, at the moment he was quite confused as to how he could have been captured. Sitting up drowsily on the damp floor, he groaned. This was definitely not a good situation. It seemed, to him at least who was still unaware of Wolfram's capture, Yuuri's return, and Yuuri's escape; that this whole war had gone to hell in a very short time.

It all felt as if the humans had been planning this for a long time. They had been able almost all of the Mazoku army's plans….

-

-

-

Meanwhile, the boy who had been waiting for Gwendal to wake, was once again lying on the floor of Cobalt's office. Wolfram gritted his teeth, feeling his wounds reopening as the guards kicked his sides repeatedly. The man who commanded them watch amused. Finally, when it no longer entertained him to harm the prince, he raised his hand. "That's enough." He stepped closer, "You are quite a nuisance, Lord Bielefeld. Now that the Demon Kingdom has announced that they are not coming for you, I have no need of your… services."

"Then let me go," the boy gasped, spitting blood from his mouth. He had become quite accustomed to the taste, everyday, it seemed, he came close to choking on the scarlet liquid.

"You would like that…, to be able to run back to your king and live as free as a bird. But there are complications…," the man's voice slowed as he seemed to examine the blonde more closely. He rolled the situation over in his twisted mind again and again.

"What…the hell… d-do you mean by…c-complications…," Wolfram panted.

Cobalt stepped closer and kneeled down beside him. Without speaking he began to stroke the boy's dirty hair and then gently brushed his fingertips against the prince's red cheeks. Although he was being gentle, his touches felt dirty and disgusting. Wolfram's hands writhed within their rope bindings. "What I mean, my dear prince, is that the precious demon king has gone missing once again. I can't have the one thing he wants running away now can I? No… I must make sure he suffers… and the only way I can do that… is through you."

"You bastard…," Wolfram snapped.

"That I may be, but it does you no good to point it out." With that he gave the blonde one hard kick in the side, and banished him to the dungeons once again.

-

-

-

However, they did not return Wolfram to the cell he had originally been given, for fear of him conspiring to escape with his brother. They instead took him to the cells with no windows, a dark and hellish place that had never seen the light of day. Flinging the shuddering prince into the blackness, the guards were laughing. It served the boy right.

Wolfram coughed and struggled to breathe as he shook helplessly on the cold stone. His mind and heart were racing so fast that it felt as if his entire body was pulsing. He had to get out. All he could think was that Yuuri was in danger. If he had run away to be a soldier again, he could be killed. As his body was seized by pain, he began to weep, nothing hurt more than the thought of his Yuuri being killed in cold blood.

He forced the thoughts of what would become of himself out of his mind. He did not care to think of how Cobalt planned to torture him further. Compared to Yuuri, he was old. He had lived a long life… and over all, he had felt true love. If he was to die here, than let it be so.

Under his breath he subconsciously whispered prayers to the Gods. To Cles, the god of justice; to Fain, the god of hope; and to Siri, the god of life; he begged and pleaded for their mercy.

Just then someone spoke. "The god's aren't listening child. They can't hear you over the roar of the fighting."

Wolfram's eyes fluttered open, his body still shuddering endlessly. "Who's there?"

The voice, that of a woman's, was soft. "Another prisoner like you, trapped here against their will. But unlike you, I've given up hope in prayers and wishes. There's no one listening."

"W-why are you im-imprisoned here?" It shocked Wolfram to think tat they would be so cruel to women.

There was a soft laugh, and then a sigh. "I am a Mazoku."

-

-

-

Yuuri hid himself behind a thick tree as he gazed up are the parapets and spires of the human capital. It was a terrifying and overwhelming sight, like a blanket of iron, wood, and stone laid out over the land. The castle itself stood a ways from the village, a giant white fortress upon a grad mesa. It looked like something out of a fairytale, however, knowing what laid await inside, it was like something from a nightmare.

The boy king turned to Notte, the white horse who had been his traveling companion. "How am I supposed to get in there? There are so many guards…." The steed gave him a blank look. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…."

"You did this for Wolfram, didn't you?" A familiar voice called. Yuuri's heart nearly stopped as his godfather appeared from the brush. "I found you."

The boy stepped away, "you can't make me go back, Conrad, I have to get Wolfram."

"I know," the man sighed, "I'm going to help you. I'm certain you've realized that you can't do this alone."

Yuuri's heart soared, "you're going to help?"

"Of course," Conrad smiled, "he's my brother. Not to mention they have Gwendal as well." He locked his hazel eyes upon the grand silhouette of Niphan. He hadn't laid eyes upon the human city in a long time. The metropolis had grown since then, but the evil locked away inside had not.

"They have Gwendal?" Yuuri murmured, almost to himself.

Conrad nodded. "They captured him in battle. Most likely the same way they captured Wolfram." He pulled the notice of Gwendal's disappearance from his pocket and handed it to the boy.

"Why are they targeting you guys?" The king looked up at him innocently.

The man shook his head. However, he did know why. As soon as he had heard the name Cobalt, he had known exactly what this war was about. He had only come across two reasons for war: greed, and revenge.

-

-

-

"_Ahh…Wolfram!" Yuuri's legs tightened around Wolfram's waist as the man thrust into him. His fingers that were grasping the blonde's shoulders slipped a bit due to the dampness of the prince's skin. They had never made love in the bathes before… but something about the feel of the warm water drowned Yuuri in bliss. "I love…you …" he murmured breathily into the man's mussed golden hair. _

_Wolfram moaned as he ground his hips against Yuuri's. "Oh gods, Yuuri, I love you so much." He blindly grasped the king's rear so that he could continue his thrusts. There was so much heat he felt as if he were suffocating, even without the boy's arm's bound around his throat, he couldn't breathe. The room had started spinning a while ago, but this was different. However he always found air, from the sweltering heat he always found comfort in Yuuri's body. He kissed the boy's neck fervently. "I love you…I love you… I love...Ahhhh!" He came within his king and Yuuri soon after. Weakly he lowered his lover's body, allowing the young man to find footing in the water. _

_Yuuri leaned against him timidly, reaching up to undo the knot of the blindfold. Their eyes did not leave one another's as they sat down, still clinging to each other. "Thank you..," the boy whispered. He always said thank you. _


	16. Chapter 16: New Plans and Old Passion

Blindfold

By,  
Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I apologize for how short this chapter is, but it is sort of an interlude into the next chapter so it ended up being extremely lacking in length.

Chapter 16: New Plans and Old Passions

_"In our complex world, sometimes our enemy is also the victim"_

Fiacre flickered weakly upon his wick. He was not happy. Before his very eyes he had had to watch his lover morph from a kind loving man to a vicious merciless beast. His heart ached. "Coby…kun…." He whispered the tender nickname to no one in particular as he glanced over at the man he loved asleep on his desk.

Cobalt looked sweet and angelic as he slept… he was a good-looking man that was for certain… and he was young… but he had been toughed by a rough life which had slowly eaten away at his ability to feel sympathy.

King Fiacre could remember the day he had found Cobalt, looking like a shaggy puppy lost in the snow. The king didn't know much about the man's past, just that he was a runaway orphan. He sighed looking over his lover's dark chocolate hair running down his back in a long thick braid. At the age of 25, Cobalt was still a boy.

He longed to know, what had changed this sweet young boy into a conniving tyrant who didn't even give a second thought for those he tortured. Where had the man who used to write sonnets and paint castles gone to? Where were his loving words and his passion for romance? Why had the arms which had held Fiacre so tenderly become weapons for destruction and suffering? The more questions that filled Fiacre's head, the more he came to realize the full extent of the injustices that had been committed. Not just to Lord Bielefeld and King Yuuri, but as unbelievable as it was, the cruelties that had been done … to Cobalt himself.

Just then, as the general adjusted his sleeping head on the wrinkled stack of papers, Fiacre could see it. The hideous mark that had been burned into his skin… the mark of a half-breed.

In his slumber Cobalt merely muttered, "Shibu…ya…."

Fiacre felt his heart break a little. Where had this _truly_ gone wrong?

-

-

-

"You know…. I think we could have come up with a better plan than this…," Yuuri groaned under his breath as he tugged at the fabric of the red gown he had been forced into. He blushed nervously as he looked at himself in the mirror. A wigs of black curls crowned his head as he dawned a scarlet dress embroidered with golden leaves. He looked quite stunning as a woman...

"We can't have you running into the castle in your royal uniform, Yuuri," Conrad sighed, adjusted his own costume.

Yuuri glared at him, "then why don't I be the page-boy and you be the woman?"

Conrad laughed as he hid his own hair beneath a brown leather cap and tightened belt around his tan tunic. "Because, that costume wouldn't fit me, besides, we can't have anyone becoming suspicious of you. The image of a cute little princes such as yourself were break off their thought process."

"Are you saying they're all a bunch of perverts?" The boy king looked at him, now even more uncertain of his new disguise.

There was no answer. Currently the two had hidden themselves in a local stable, an had to be very careful as to what they said. If something went wrong with the plan, there may never be another chance to retrieve Wolfram and Gwendal.

Now on a serious note Conrad looked his godson in the eyes, "Yuuri, I want you to do whatever you have to do to keep yourself out of danger. You must be on your guard at all times." He placed his hands heavily upon the boy's shoulders, holding him firmly enough as if to reassure himself that the child was there.

Yuuri smiled sheepishly, "don't worry Conrad; I know how to take care of myself."

-

-

-

Wolfram tossed in his light sleep upon the damp stone ground. The woman's words replayed themselves over and over again in his mind. 'There is no one there.' It seemed to be tearing his mind apart; making him face was Cobalt had said to him. His people weren't coming for him, his friends and family wasn't coming for him, and most painful of all… Yuuri wasn't coming for him.

Although the woman wasn't there now, she was away for interrogation. She wasn't there to say the cold and saddening things that she had filled his mind with. However, even with her gone, he could feel his loneliness like a stabbing blade through his breaking heart.

However, these thoughts did not stab his heart as much as the nightmares did. The same terrifying dream as he had had on the battlefield of his beloved chained to a burning cross. The image has seemingly become burned on his eyes as it was almost the only thing he could see in the pitch black of his cell. "Yuuri…," he whimpered, his eyes clenching as he could feel himself falling into the terror once again. His entire body continued to tremble as he was forced to witness the tortuous sight again.

However, this time his suffering was interrupted by the clanging of the heavy rod irons doors and the flood of light piercing the cool darkness. "Cell 3," he heard a soldier announce.

"I know what cell I put him in," the dreaded voice snapped. The sound of heavy boots drifted closer and closer, start a low throbbing in the core of his mind, he groaned softly in pain. When Cobalt heard him he scoffed, "don't you start complaining, I haven't even begun with you yet." He held up a lantern in order to look into his prisoner's face.

The light burned the blonde's green eyes and he cried out weakly. Cobalt signaled with his hand for the guards to open the cell door and to stand him up. Almost immediately the prince was roughly dragged to his feet.

"Be glad, Lord Bielefeld, I have found a new use for you," the general grinned menacingly. Wolfram's heart seemed to fall into the pit of his stomach. "but first, we should get you cleaned up. I wouldn't want your first client to see you like that."

The golden head shifted his as much strength as the boy possessed. "Client….?"

-

-

-

Gwendal sat solemnly against the wall of his prison, his eyes locked on the splatter of moonlight upon the floor. For a while he had been demanding to see his brother, however no one had answered him, none had given him any clues as to the condition of Wolfram. He hadn't given up, however he had come to realize which plan of action would be useless. Trying to get these men to listen was like trying to tell a lion to stop hunting the antelope. It was something that wouldn't happen.

Just then he heard a rustling outside. He tensed momentarily, waiting to see if he heard something more.

A voice reached his ears, "Gwendal… is that you?"


	17. Chapter 17: Forced Infidelities

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou.

Note: I think all of you have realized where this is going… and this chapter is very hard for me to write because of my love for Wolfram, but sadly its part of the story…. FORGIVE ME WOLFRAM!!!!!

Chapter 17: Forced Infidelities

"_Wolfram…" Yuuri whispered into the sleeping man's ear. Softly he kissed his prince's cheek to help rouse him. "Wolf-fu…" the boy's voice sounded somewhat breathless. _

_Gradually the blonde's emerald eyes fluttered open, falling upon his king's face which was strangely content. He gazed at him, somewhat confused as to why his lover had woken him. _

_The black-haired boy pulled closer to him so that his lips brushed against Wolfram's temple. "Make love to me…" his hot breath swept over the man's cheek. _

"_Yuuri… it's 3 in the morning…," Wolfram half-groaned. _

_But the boy wouldn't give up, wrapping his naked legs around his lover's torso. "I want you… so much… please…," He nestled his face desperately into the man's golden locks that crowned his angelic face._

_Wolfram laughed deep in his throat at Yuuri's determination. "And what has gotten you excited all of a sudden, hennachoko?"_

_The king ground his hips slowly against the prince's. "Just lying here next to you arouses me…"_

_Giving in, the blonde shifted their position so that he covered Yuuri protectively as well as hungrily. "You know just how to get me started, don't you?" He leaned in to kiss the boy's throat. "You know I'm at your command."_

"_No, Wolf-fu…," Yuuri moaned as Wolfram's hand took hold of his length, "you are not a dog… I want to know that you…love… me…" it became harder to speak. _

"_I always will." _

_-_

_-_

_-_

Wolfram's heart pounded within his chest as he was nearly dragged naked through the corridors of the palace. With every step, he realized more and more where he was going, and with each of those steps, his frightened heart broke a little more. They were not satisfied with just stripping him of his honor, and dignity, no… they had to strip him of his loyalty to his beloved as well.

"Cobalt no…," he pleaded, "I beg of you! I'll do anything!" As he tried to pulled back the man stopped.

Grinning cruelly as he turned, Cobalt looked at him disbelievingly. "Anything?"

The blonde nodded furiously.

Contemplating the offer, the man gentle stroked the boy's cheek, like a sculptor smoothing of a rough patch on a marble statue of Eros. His eyes were laughing viciously, "So you will give me Yuuri to take your place?"

The prince dropped his head meekly. "No…" He would rather be ravished by a thousand men than let just one lay a hand upon his king. "Not Yuuri….," his voice quivered.

Cobalt merely grinned. "That's what I thought." He could see the blonde's eyes begin to glisten. His own gaze examined the prince's flawless body, and with every inch of beautiful skin he saw, he grew more furious with the damned demon king. Lifting Wolfram's chin with one finger he muttered to himself, "he doesn't deserve something as beautiful as you." With that, he turned, and they continued on their way down the hall.

Finally they reached the door to the barracks. As it swung open, a group of muscular soldiers was revealed, sitting around the floor drinking and gambling. None of them were necessarily attractive and they all looked dirty.

Cobalt smile kindly as he addressed them, "Good evening, boys, I've brought you some…entertainment." He glanced at Wolfram as he said this.

A few of them stood, "ooh… you got a real pretty one this time cap'n."

The general nodded his head slightly in response, his grip on the prince's wrist tightened to make sure that he didn't try to run, "Only the best for my boys."

Wolfram began to shake violently at the sight of all the soldiers. He felt like a rabbit dangled above a pit of wolves. There were 10 or maybe even 11 soldiers watching him, and he could see the lust in their eyes. "Please…no…." his voice seemed out of reach. Silently he tried to remind himself that this was for Yuuri's sake.

"Do you remember how to play make-believe lord Bielefeld?" Cobalt now addressed him. "You wanted so much to be in the arms of your king again, so here-," he pushed the blonde forcefully into the thick outstretched hands of the soldiers, "make-believe." He turned to go then stopped momentarily, "and boys… no need to be gentle. We can always find new toys where he came from. Lord Bielefeld, you wanted to find out your lover's secret…now you shall learn first hand. " The door was slammed shut behind him.

The men laughed to themselves and began to tug on his arms. "Come on, pretty boy, play with us," one chuckled, reached a greasy hand in between Wolfram's slender legs.

The blonde screamed as their hands began to grope him, pulling him down towards the floor. "LET GO OF ME!" He tried to kick them, aiming anywhere that he could, but his position became worst as the men began to tug him towards the bed. "Don't touch me! Please…," he tried to yank himself away, but it seemed the more he fought, the more passionate the men became.

They roughly flung him onto the mattress, and in what seemed like seconds they had his hands and feet bound to the bedposts. "He's a feisty one…"

"I'll soon take care of that…," the biggest man announced, stepping forward. Slowly and methodically he ran his fingers over Wolfram's ribcage. "Yes, he's still soft…" his voice was distant and distracted.

One of the others jumped up, "Aww Jack… why do you always get to go first?"

The large man turned to glare at him, "because I'll crush your skull if you try to stop me, pipsqueak. Now shut your mouth. I want to enjoy this."

Wolfram quivered helplessly as they all looked down at him. It was then that the tears freed themselves from his emerald eyes. How did it come to this? When had he become so weak? Had his people truly given up on him? As he felt the weight of Jack begin to crush his bare body, he prayed inaudibly to himself, "Please…Yuuri… forgi…ve…me…."

There really was no one there.

-

-

-

The next morning Wolfram found himself thrown once again into his cell. However this time he didn't fight. He didn't cry, nor shout, nor did he even pray. He didn't care anymore… he wasn't worth anything now, and was especially unworthy of a king. The woman in the cell across from his smile knowingly to herself; the boy had finally realized the truth.

As Wolfram lay there, his very ability to show emotion have left his filthy body, his mind fell once again upon the blindfold, the riddle that had always haunted him. No, it hadn't _haunted _him. If it had given comfort and serenity to his precious Yuuri, than it was a blessing. Yet now he could see it… he could recognize the fear in his king's eyes before he learned to trust Wolfram. The blindfold was not to protect himself, no… it was to protect his prince from having to look upon his body. "But you're beautiful, Yuuri…" he whispered. The boy would always be beautiful.

Then it hit him. Maybe it was he who caused Yuuri pain. Maybe he himself was the source of his beloved's suffering. That would make sense of it all, why his people had abandoned him…why he was being punished. "Yuu-chan… if it hurt you, then I deserved this…."

It was here he made a pact. He vowed go with every punishment he was given in hope that perhaps one day… perhaps one day he might earn his king's forgiveness.

-

-

-

One Week Later

Yuuri stepped cautiously into one of the smaller corridors. He was still amazed that the guards had fallen for his disguise. He had never thought of himself as particularly girly. In fact it was amazing that they had made it this far. It had taken them long enough to get through the village and devise a plan. As Conrad said, they couldn't be too hasty, or else they would be careless.

Making his way further into the core of the palace, he could feel his heart begin to race. He was so close to finding Wolfram. He was so excited he could almost feel the man's arms wrapped around him.

Conrad had gone to search the East Wing where the armory and the kitchens were, thinking perhaps they would force his brothers into becoming soldiers… or on a grimmer more gruesome note… eating them.

Yuuri was to search the royal chambers, and if he was questioned, he was supposed to say that he was lost and looking for his brother… a.k.a. Conrad the page boy. Carefully and as stealthily as possible, the king peaked into each of the rooms, searching for any signs of his fiancée

However the act was turning out to be less fruitful as he would have hoped. He had located the library, several studies, a few empty bedrooms, and a small reception room. Everything was elegantly decorated and it felt like something out of one of Yuuri's high school history books. Slowly he closed the door to a sitting room, and proceeded on. Just then he heard footsteps and he froze. Two men turned the corner and began to head towards him. Yuuri's mind reeled for a moment, had he been discovered? He hadn't even seen these men before, how could they have discovered him? However, in his despairing, they passed him by without any recognition.

The boy-king sighed, still breathing heavily. It seemed he couldn't get enough breath with his corset binding his chest and stomach and he was beginning to feel dizzy.

"No…," he muttered to himself, "there are just a few doors left, you can't give up now." He steadied himself and continued down the hall. Finally, after what seemed like ages and a thousand doors, he reached the last room. The handle was slightly more ornate then the rest and there were two doors instead of one. 'It must be a royal bedchamber,' he thought to himself. He placed his ear to the wood, trying to listen for sounds of life within.

He could hear muffled voices, and what sounded like muddled screams. His curiosity compelled him to look. Gently laying his hand upon the latch, he pushed the door slightly, filling the newly made crack with his eyes. It was then that he wished that he hadn't looked within.

Two figures, their backs to the king, lay in a tangled mess of grunting limbs upon the large king-sized bed. Yuuri's heart seemed to stop, embarrassed that he had intruded upon such an intimate scene. He knew too well the embarrassment of being discovered during a passionate tryst with one's lover. Quietly he turned to go, reach meekly for the door when one of the moans reached his ears. The voice was familiar. He shifted to look at the two once again just as the dominating man shifted, his shoulder no longer blocking the face of his escort. The king's blood ran cold as he laid his eyes upon that face… the face that had made him feel safe to trust again, the face he had worshipped nightly…, and slowly he could feel his whole being shatter into many pieces.

Yuuri stepped forward, no longer caring whether or not he was discovered. He began to feel nauseas as he tried to convince himself that it wasn't a nightmare. "Wolfram….?" His words sprang from his mouth; however his mind did not grasp nor comprehend them. The two lovers froze and almost immediately the blonde sat up in horror. Tears filled the boy's eyes, "Wolfram… how could you?"


	18. Chapter 18: Sometimes For the Best

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou.

Note: As I said before, I am so sorry for putting Wolfie through so much pain. I love him so much its ridiculous, and its quite ironic that he's the one I hurt the most in my stories…hmm….should I be worried about that? I am sorry that this chapter is so short, but is another one of those transitional sections.

Chapter 19: Sometimes For The Best…. 

Yuuri stood silently a stride away from the open door. His heart was racing yet his feet stayed bolted to the ground. His eyes couldn't break away from his beloved's emerald orbs. "Wolf…ram….why?"

In his shame the blonde couldn't bring himself to speak. He didn't deserve his king's love… nor did he deserve for Yuuri to forgive him.

The human prince who had been lying with Wolfram stood nervously. He was young and tan with a handsome face. "Who are you?" His expression was a mix of annoyance and sexual frustration.

The demon king hardly gave him a second glance as he waited for Wolfram's answer. Yuuri spoke again, his voice breaking off slightly. "Do you…l-love...him?"

Wolfram shook his golden head. 'No,' his heart was screaming, 'I love you and only you; I never wanted any of this.' However his head reminded him that this was his own fault… he had brought this fate upon himself… and now he had gotten the boy he loved involved. It was despicable.

Yuuri closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from fighting their way out. Before he knew it, he had thrown his wig upon the ground. What did it matter now? "But I love you, Wolfram…., I-," his sobs cut him off.

"And I… love you, Yuuri." The blonde's voice was soft and weak. "I always will…"

The boy-king glared at him with a look of suffering and disbelief. "What do you mean 'you love me'? If you loved me, then why are you with him?" He took a half step backwards as Wolfram moved to stand.

"Yuuri… please listen to me…," he whispered quietly.

Meanwhile the human prince, Graham his name was, now wearing his pants, had gone to the wig that Yuuri had thrust upon the floor. Taking it in his hands, he began to realize what was going on. "You're the demon king… aren't you?" His hazel eyes locked on the dark-haired boy in a dress. Wolfram's heart nearly stopped as he realized what they had done. Graham stepped closer to the king. "You're not supposed to be here…" He immediately moved to bolt. "Guards! Guards! There's an-."

"YUURI RUN!" Wolfram screamed, throwing himself in front of his client. "They'll kill you!" He flinched as he was thrown against the wall.

But the boy didn't move, he just stood blankly near the door, "I don't care…" The sound of heavy boots was coming closer. "I don't care if you don't love me… I'll always love you more than anyone else ever can." He clenched his fists in determination. He didn't care if they dragged him out of this room.

Slinking down on floor the blonde whimpered softly, "then please… run…" His eyes were pleading with him.

Before Yuuri could answer, someone interrupted.

"So, we meet again, Shibuya; how pleasant."

Wolfram shook his head desperately, "please no…"

Within moments Cobalt revealed himself through another doorway, his eyes shining with the hate he felt for the boy standing in the room. "You look stunning in that dress, Yuuri. Much better than the last time we met. If I recall correctly… you were wearing nothing."

The demon king looked at him confused. "Who are you?"

However the general didn't answer. Instead he strolled over to Wolfram. "I see you found our little treasure…. He has given great _joy_ to us all; and he's so obedient!" He roughly tore the blonde off the floor and forced him on to his feet. "However, I am not one of the lucky ones that he has graced with his…talents. Besides, I much prefer black hair." He glanced over at Yuuri expectantly.

"I don't understand…," the boy shifted anxiously. "I don't know who you are."

"You still don't remember me? Then I think I shall have to remind you." Cobalt grinned inwardly, releasing the blonde from his grasp.

Wolfram flung himself upon the man's shoulders, "Don't touch him!!!"

Cobalt roughly thrust his arm back, sending the prince hurdling to the floor. "Shut up you worthless whore. You have said your share, and now that you have gotten me my prize, I have no use for you. You have no further business here." He turned to the guards that had gathered within the doorframe. "Take him to the dungeons… do whatever you want with him, he is useless."

"Wolfram!" Yuuri moved toward his lover, "What's going on?" He was halted by the general's heavy hand upon his shoulder. "Where are they taking him?" He demanded, reaching out his hand even though he knew he could not reach the man he loved.

Wolfram smiled brokenly as the guards took hold of him, "don't… let him hurt you…," and with that he was gone.

-

-

-

Yuuri moaned in pain as he was pushed to the floor in Cobalt's office. The man looked down at him menacingly. "You have some nerve… Yuuri Shibuya. How dare you think a half-breed deserves to live in such happiness…? You are worse than dirt and yet you sleep in a palace in the arms of one of the most beautiful men in the kingdom. And what have you done to earn it?"

The boy was too frightened to speak.

Frustrated Cobalt slapped the king with as much strength as he could muster. Blood began to stream from Yuuri's nose. "And then you dare to forget who I am…" He raised his hand for another strike when he stopped himself. "No… you have not forgotten. As long as you have that blindfold you can't forget. You're just pretending."

Yuuri weakly tried to cover his ears. "Shut up! Shut up!" The man's voice stirred a deep burning pain within his chest.

"Yes, Yuuri, go ahead… think back… you were only twelve weren't you?" Cobalt's fury seemed to rise with each heavy breath the boy took. "You remember how I broke you… you may not have known my name, nor did you see my face, … but you remember my voice…don't you?"

"Stop! Please stop!" The king curled into himself, trying to shut out the man's words.

Cobalt did stop… moving back to his oaken desk he sighed… "that will be enough for now…You will remain in here until I am ready to finish what I started."


	19. Chapter 19:I've Never Been a Martyr

Blindfold 

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I am sorry that it has taken me so long to post another chapter… for some reason I was on a roll and then I blanked, and I just couldn't remember where I had been going with this story. But now I do… for some reason it hit me while I was taking my math final….

Chapter 20: I've Never Been Much of a Martyr

Wolfram flung himself meekly against the bars of his cell. "don't hurt him…," he groaned, his voice soft and weak from shouting.

It was hopeless… there was no one there to hear him anyway.. and it was not like they would listen anyway. Finally he slid to the floor, his naked body defiled and broken. How had it come to this? Although it felt like years… a month or so ago he had been lying peacefully beside his king, dreaming of the things they would do the next day and laughing about the things they had done in the past. He groaned, "Yuuri… forgive me…."

-

-

-

Conrart, during this whole turn of events, had located a different prize. He had stumbled upon the chamber of his elder brother, sitting ever so rigidly in the corner. It seemed that Gwendal had resigned himself to become a statue before he would give in to the humans.

The middle brother rattled the bars softly to get his attention. The dark haired man merely looked at him, as if trying to tell whether or not it was a mirage. However, due to the lack of thirst and claiming himself to be sane, he concluded that his eyes were playing no tricks on him today. "Have you found Wolfram?" His lack of a warm fuzzy greeting was all too normal for his character.

"No… Yuuri's looking for him. Wouldn't he be here in the dungeon?" Conrad's eyes held his brother expectantly.

Gwendal straightened abruptly, still not having enough strength to stand. "You brought his majesty here? This is the human capital Conrart! I would be so easy for him to fall into their hands."

"I realize that, Gwendal, he came on his own, I merely chased after him. But what should we have done, leave you two here to die?"

The elder brother dropped his head, "Wolfram longs for death now…"

Conrad looked hopeful, "so you know where he is then?"

There was a silence. The older man was certain of how to tell his brother of their sibling's fate… the torture and disgrace he had gone through. "No," he murmured, "I merely know of his punishment."

"What did they do to him?" Conrad asked, not entirely sure that he wanted an answer.

But Gwendal could not give him one. "Perhaps he will tell you one day."

-

-

-

Yuuri sat motionlessly in the bedchamber t which he had been confined. The only movement came from the flickering of the candle. "What have I done?"

"_Nothing, Lord Yuuri," _came a soft voice.

The boy king jumped, "who's there?" He hid himself behind a large pillow.

Fiacre dimmed himself slightly, _"I apologize, I didn't mean to surprise you; it's just that I have been waiting to meet the demon king."_

Yuuri looked at the small flame suspiciously. "How can you be talking to me?" To the human eye the candle appeared like every other, a stick made of wax standing upon a small candlestick and burning with a small fire on top. "You're a-,"

"_-candle, I know. It's a very long story, and I would much appreciate not having to retell it once again. At least for a little while, it took me enough energy to tell it to Lord Bielefeld." _

Yuuri's interest suddenly peaked, causing him to forget his initial fright. "You spoke to Wolfram?"

"_Indeed I did, quite a gentleman he is. And such a lovely face… you are very lucky. I was lucky once, when I caught Cobalt in my arms for the first time." _There was a moments pause as Fiacre once again began to drift into old memories. As a mere candle, he had nothing else to do but analyze his own thoughts.

The boy king quickly moved away again, "you're on his side? How can you side with such a cruel man?"

"_Believe it or not, Yuuri, he wasn't always cruel. Misguided, perhaps, but never the sadistic man you have seen. But let me ask you this… if one morning you wake to find that your beloved Wolfram had killed a hundred people and ridiculed the innocent… even so you would still love him, would you not?"_

Yuuri thought for a moment. He couldn't picture Wolfram's hands stained with blood, or even him torturing innocent people, but the candle was right. "Yes… I would never stop loving Wolfram, and I'm sure if he did such a thing, he would have a reason."

"_Now can't you see? He may be terrible now… but I must stand beside him… even if he keeps doing these horrible things… because as long as I have that little faith that the real him is still there… I want to try and save him. He too is a victim." _The flame grew slightly as his words became more passionate.

The demon king looked at him, moved by the love he showed. "So… who exactly are you?"

"_I am the human king, Fiacre. It is an honor to meet you." _

_-_

_-_

_-_

_Yuuri sat on the end of the bed, watching hungrily as Wolfram slowly stripped his bathrobe from his pale shoulders. Letting it fall to the ground, the prince stood before his king, the entirety of himself revealed to the air. The way that his golden locks fell before his eyes made it appear as if his head were encircled by a golden halo… he looked like an angel. _

_Reaching out, Yuuri placed his hands upon the blonde's small hips and drew him closer, placing a kiss to his velvety stomach. He then looked up innocently into Wolfram's protective gaze, his arms binding themselves about the prince's waist anxiously. "Does it hurt you?"  
_

_Wolfram gripped his shoulders comfortingly, "what, my love?"_

_The king leaned forward, resting his cheek against the man's abdomen. "When I ask you to wear the blindfold… does it hurt you?" He couldn't bring himself to look at his lover's face. _

_The blonde smiled sweetly, laying Yuuri back gently, then covering him like a blanket. "Of course not, hennachoko... I want you to feel safe with me." _

_The boy king sighed, winding his fingers into Wolfram's soft hair. "It's not that I don't trust you Wolf-," however, the man he loved broke him off with a kiss. The feel of the prince's skin against his own, and the taste of his tender lips erased all fears from the boys mind. _

_Wolfram then rocked back onto his knees as he looked over his king. Soon they would make love. Yuuri blushed as he found his eyes drifting to the small patch of golden tresses between the man's legs. The sight aroused him. He quickly adjusted his legs, trying to hide his desire in shame. _

_However the future queen merely smiled loving, taking the blindfold in his hands. It made him happy to know that his king longed for him…_

_-_

_-_

_-_

"So… are you sure you know where Wolfram is?" Yuuri asked shyly, steadying the hand with which he was carrying Fiacre.

"_I am almost certain… Cobalt mentioned the western dungeons… those are just for special prisoners… he must be there." _The candle danced as a small breeze fluttered through the dark corridor.

Yuuri's heart was pounding, with every step he took, the more danger he was putting himself in. But, to be honest, it was worth it. He just wanted to touch his beloved, to apologize for doubting him. In his heart it made him sick the way he jumped to conclusions. He should have known that Wolfram' s heart was loyal to him. As they came to a foyer with many halls connecting to it, Yuuri slowed. "Which way should I go now?"

"_Just keep going straight; we have to get to the courtyard first." _

The demon king did as he was told, voyaging onward. Light from the setting sun flooded through the towering windows, casting an eerie red hue on the floor. To Yuuri's frightened mind, it appeared as if the light was forming pools of red blood on the floor. "This place is creepy…"

Fiacre flickered in protest, "_this is my home!"_

"Sorry, it's just kind of scary with no lights…" the boy king shivered as the neared the courtyard. Just then Yuuri stopped. "It's raining… will it be safe for you to go out there?"

Fi hesitated. He had no idea what would happen if his flame went out, for Cobalt had never allowed such a thing to happen. It was very likely that his soul could be erased for eternity. However, his need to do good for others was stronger. He wanted for Yuuri and Wolfram to be able to leave this terrible place and live happily. Besides… life as a candle was not very fulfilling. _"…it'll… be alight…just…keeping going. I am sure Wolfram's waiting for you." His voice quivered. _

Yuuri stared into his small flame, "are you sure? What if you get wet?" He could sense Fiacre sorrow and grief.

"_It doesn't matter Yuuri. If we are thinking about what I want… than I want most for you two to be free. I've had my turn for love." _ As the king moved to protest, Fi interrupted him, _"please do not ask me again."_

Yuuri sighed, "Alright… if you're certain…," then shielding the flame with his hand, he started into the cool night air, the raindrops splattering upon his cheeks and in his eyes.


	20. Chapter 20: Rekindle the Hope

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I apologize that this chapter is so short… but A LOT happens in the next chapter, so therefore this chapter sort of became one of those in-between chapters. SO… please forgive me!!!

Chapter 21: Rekindle the Hope 

Rain splattered about, almost blinding Yuuri as he ran headlong across the courtyard. It was dark and windy, yet so far he had managed to keep Fiacre's flame burning. He slowed as he tried to figure out where he was. "Which way do I go now," he shouted, the rustling of the branches in the storm drowning out his voice.

Unable to make his voice heard over the gusts, Fiacre form an arrow with his light, pointing ahead of them. Yuuri quickly obeyed, the sooner they got out of this downpour, the better.

-

-

-

Conrad bit his lip slightly as he worked the small piece of wire into the lock on Gwendal's cell. To his frustration, the wire kept bending too much to be of any use. However he continued to try. He, like his younger brother, refused to give up in almost hopeless situations.

Gwendal on the other hand grew impatient. "Conrart, you're going to need the key in order to get me out of here."

The man sighed, "Where would they have it? I've never been inside this palace before."

"I don't know either," the dark-haired brother grumbled, "but most likely one of the guards will have it." He leaned back tiredly against the wall. He wasn't exactly in a rush to get out anyway, he couldn't move very well… and escaping from the castle was going to be difficult.

Conrad stood and nodded. "Alright, I'll go try to find it. But I suppose I should try and meet up with his majesty first, to see if he's found anything."

"Well hurry, the longer you take the more danger he could be in. These humans are merciless when it comes to punishment." Gwendal shook his head, trying to keep the anger down within him. The thought of what they had done to his little brother sickened him to his stomach.

The middle brother grunted in agreement, however, as he moved to go, the door to the dungeons was slung open, revealing the master of the castle.

"Well, if it isn't Lord Weller…," Cobalt chuckled, "Don't you look stunning in that dress? I almost mistook you for a lady." He looked somewhat ragged and torn as he spoke. "I've been looking for you."

-

-

-

Yuuri's heart began to pound harder and faster in his chest as he began loping forwards, he was getting close he could feel it. He longed so much to hold his Wolfram, to apologize for not believing in him, and most of all, apologize for getting them into this whole mess.

"I can't see very well…," the dark-haired boy muttered, squinting his eyes. As if the rain weren't enough, it was dark and a heavy mist was beginning to settle within the courtyard, slowing enveloping the moon itself.

"_It's alright, Yuuri, we are going the right way… just keep your wits about you."_

In an attempt at humor, the demon king forced a groan from his throat, "I've never been too good at that…"

Fiacre allowed himself to laugh, little did he know how true it was. Yuuri was a boy dictated by emotion and belief, very similar to his lover. He was not one to base his life around logic.

"Fi… what does it look like?" He asked nervously, afraid that they might be getting off course with their lack of visibility.

There was a thoughtful silence. _"I really don't know what to say, except for that it is a big, scary-looking stone building. It's something that when you see it you say 'yes, I am sure that's a dungeon.'"_

"How appropriate…" Through the downpour of rain he could see the fain burning of torches and the outline of a dark stone building. "Fiacre… is that it up ahead?"

Distracted with their risky pace, the human king spoke nervously. _"Yes, that should be it."_ At the news Yuuri sped up, his patience being washed away with the rained. He had to get to Wolfram.

However, it was then that the demon king made his mistake. Having been careless, his foot slipped upon the slick cobblestone and he hurdled to the ground, Fiacre's flame being doused in small puddle. Yuuri could only stared in shock and immeasurable sorrow as a slight wisp of smoke rose up… only to die within moments.

"Fi…," he murmured, unable to work up his voice. Slowly he became more desperate, "Fiacre? Please… answer me… Fiacre!"

Yet no voice reached his ears. The innocent soul was gone.

-

-

-

_Yuuri watched as Wolfram worked restlessly on his daily paperwork. Unlike Yuuri, when it came to such tasks, the prince did not put it off… instead he got it done quickly so that he can spend the rest of the time pestering Yuuri about how he should have started sooner. _

_But today, the young king was distracted for an entirely different reason…It seemed he couldn't stop staring at how delicately the blonde's beautiful slender fingers held his quill. Nor could he take his mind off of the way he bit his lower lip just enough so that it turned pink. He was divine… his wavy golden hair… his shining emerald eyes, now deep in the depths of puberty, there was really only a few things Yuuri could keep focus on._

_Noticing his lover's sudden interest in him, Wolfram attempted to hide a blush. "Is there something you want Yuuri?" He kept his voice as calm and collected as possible. _

_The boy shuddered; the blonde knew exactly how to get him going. Then silently he stood, padding around the corner of the table to stand behind his fiancée. Wrapping his arms around the prince's neck, he buried his face within the sun-kissed tresses that formed a crown of light atop Wolfram's head. "I want you… I love you… and only you…" his voice was muffled and breathless. _

_A shiver ran up the prince's spine as he reached behind him and tugged Yuuri into his lap, holding him tightly to his body. "You can have me… I am yours."_

"_Wolfram…," the king whispered, for a whisper was all he could manage. They met in a gentle kiss. The taste of his lover's mouth was intoxicating and delicious…Without knowing it his fingers had moved to the buttons of Wolfram's uniform, slowly revealing the tepid skin of the man's chest. His hands desperately sought out the velvety feel of the blonde's shoulder-blades, leaving the remaining buttons forgotten. He wanted to touch and to feel. _

_Just then they were interrupted by Gwendal and Conrart entering the room. There was an awkward silence that often follows the discovery of lovers by their family. Yuuri reluctantly pulled away, allowing the prince to restore his clothes to order. However Wolfram took note of the disappointment upon his beloved's face. Taking his king's hand, he kissed it a murmured, "tonight, Yuuri, tonight."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Tearfully, Yuuri finally forced himself to continue on without his guide. But slowly his heart was breaking, weighing down in his chest like lead. It was his fault… he was the reason that Fiacre was gone…

Just then his outstretched hands met with cold metal. He jerked back momentarily, surprised by the icy feeling. It was a door… a black rod iron door with the images elaborate goblins and monsters being created by the twisted metal. This was it, he had reached the dungeons…


	21. Chapter 21: We Shall Be Free

Blindfold 

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I am so sorry that this chapter is so short, Its just sort of hard to write because this part of the story gets really depressing.

Chapter 21: Tis Then that We Shall be Free

Yuuri tumbled in after pushing his hardest against the heavy prison door. After long arduous work, he finally managed to pry it open enough so that he could fit inside. Almost immediately he found himself plunged into darkness, the small crack revealing the cold misty night far brighter than any part of the hellish domain he had now entered.

Without any sense of direction he tripped along, feeling for walls and familiar objects. He found very few and many were things he did not wish to identify. Most of what he felt were bars, from which he hastily jerked away for fear that something would grab him and pull him to the cold stone ground. He shivered. Yet this action did not arise from cold, instead was born of an innate sense of danger and the feeling that he was being watched.

Everything was silent. The eerie type of silence that put you in a tense state, afraid that the next thing you might hear would be raspy breathing down your neck, or possibly footsteps close behind or worse… screams.

Timidly he worked a small cry from his quivering lips, "Wolfram…" Silence. Reluctantly he continued forward, his hands held out in front of him as an inadequate shield to protect him from the dangers his overly active imagination forced him to believe in.

He continued to call for his lover intermittently, his voice too frightened to go much above a whisper. This was truly the loudest silence he had ever experienced. The quiet seemed to be ringing in his ears, jumpstarting his heart and breath. "W-wolfram…"

Just then he was certain that he could see a light. The sight was beautiful, a needed relief from the heavy gloom of the prison. Somewhat more confident now, his steps quickened, and as he drew closer, he found the faint glow to be a steady stream of moonlight flowing in through a small barred window high above his head, so far up, in fact, that only the sickly looking crows could reach it.

The corridor widened here, and Yuuri could now see vague shapes and outlines with the help of the pale fluorescent light. By what he could see, the rain had stopped, however he was not certain that he could trust that judgement. For it seemed that here, within the small piece of paradise within the darkest hell, all life seemed to stop. Even the moon lacked its normally vivacious aura as its glow seemed dead and still. This place was not sacred, it was cursed. "Wolfram?"

Finally a sound met his ears as a small tinkling of chains moving wisped through the thick air. Yuuri turned to find its source, squinting his eyes anxiously. Slowly the sight of two pale hands, cut and bruised gripping the bars of one of the cells was revealed to him.

"Wolfram!" he cried out. He knew those hands, even though now they had taken upon the grey pallor of death. He thrust himself onto his knees before the cell, desperately taking those weak hands in his. They were cold, far colder than ice itself, and made not a move as he tried to warm the slender fingers with his own. "W-wolf-fu…," he voice was now choked with tears.

He still could not see his lover's face, for the moon granted him only enough light to see the prince's wrists. But Yuuri knew it was him, for as he pressed his lips tenderly to the back of Wolfram's hands, those slender fingers closed gently in a comforting gesture.

Yuuri then reached one of his hands through the bars, searching timidly for his fiancee's face. His palm met the prince's hidden cheek, the warm barely lingering about the blonde's now very pronounced cheekbone. "W-wolf-fu…," he whispered, "p-please, forgive me… please…. I am so sorry. I have been such a… such a fool!" He pressed his forehead to the slightly frosted metal. "I love you… I always will, please."

For a long while there was silence, save for the uneven sobs of the king. It was then, that slowly the prince drew his face into the small stream of light. Yuuri's heart broke upon seeing what his lover had become.

-

-

-

Cobalt knelt limply in onto the wet ground, reaching out his trembling hands for the broken candlestick that lay there. The wick, as he took the small article into his strong grasp, retained no life, no inkling of a spirit about it. He stared at it, unfeeling and distant for a long while, before gradually, for the first time in a long time, tears graced his cheeks. "Fia-acre…," he murmured brokenly, his words choked and quivering.

He then drew it to him, holding it to his chest just above where his heart now beat restlessly. The last piece of the love he had cherished for so long… the last proof he had of the human king's existence was this insignificant piece of wax, now broken and destroyed.

The general allowed himself to sob before the group of soldiers that had been following him. Weakly he crumpled to the ground.

They looked at him in awe. This was something the young boys could have ever imagined, for always had their image of him been a stone-like warrior. They too allowed themselves to cry. A great leader had been lost this day.

-

-

-

Wolfram's face was not at all the one that Yuuri had remembered in dreams and blissful memories. No, he now looked into the face of a corpse dangling on the precipice before death. His once glittering emerald eyes seemed to sink into his grey boney face. His hair, one golden like the sun, was knotted and filthy. His lips, having taken on a blue tint, shook slightly as exhaustion, starvation, and sickness tugged at his entire existence.

The prince had not the strength to say a word, yet his haunted gaze spoke for him. It was in these tormented eyes that Yuuri could see a glint of love and adoration. Yes, this was still his Wolfram. It was the look he had always received from his prince, although faded and misted over, it was still there.

The king lovingly laid Wolfram's hands upon his chest. Slowly, the boney fingers tightened upon the fabric of Yuuri's shirt. The boy then reached in, tenderly cupping the ghostly façade in his palms. "Wolfram," his tears were unstoppable now. " I am so sorry, Wolfram…." He could hardly bring himself to look into that face, so forlorn and broken. "Why? Why did this happen?" He dropped his head sorrowfully. "Why you?" he added with his soft pleading voice.

Weakly Wolfram's grasp on Yuuri was defeated as an inaudible cough wracked the blonde's body caused him to fall shuddering against the icy bars. It was then that Yuuri realized his love bore no clothes, no source of warm.

He held his prince's shoulder tightly with one hand whilst the other stroked the ratty hair from the back of Wolfram's head which now faced Yuuri, visible along with his obscenely profound shoulder-blades marred by whippings. There the blonde lay, unmoving on his side facing away from his beloved.

The blonde's twig like figure, now a delicate as a crumpled leaf upon the ground, continued to shake and shiver uncontrollably, yet all with a sickening silence. For Wolfram could not produce any sound, even his breath was deathly silent.

When Yuuri was certain that the fit had stopped, he pulled his hands away, moving his fingers to the tattered fabric of his shirt.He needed to get the prince warm. With a desperate tug, he had pulled it over his head and was now shakily trying to push it in between the bars to cover his love.

"Wolfram," he pleaded, "please don't die…"

The moon continued to watch him, the only other presence about them

-

-

-

After a long period of uncontrollable weeping, Cobalt managed to calm himself as much as possible. Lifting his dark head wearily, his eyes looked out before him. Black, for a long time all he could percieve was black. However, as his gaze began to adjust, his senses piqued along with his desperation, he saw it, although small and minute, it was there. As if it were in plain sight now, Cobalt looked upon the scene with gathering emotion. The door to the prison was open.

A fury, unlike any other he had ever felt grew within his chest as he realized who had dealt out his Fiacre's demise.


	22. Chapter 22: Birth of the Less Fortunate

Blindfold 

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: okay, I know I've kept you all waiting for a long time, but next chapter (I SWEAR) we get to see Cobalt's story. And perhaps we will finally learn of the blindfold…. Hmmm…Also, sorry about the short chapter.

Also… you can see my portrait of Fiacre on my Deviant Art account. He was a pretty boy.(its under RuneWolfe, or you could always just type in Fiacre)

Chapter 22: Birth of the Less Fortunate

_Fiacre's delicate pale body shivered as Cobalt's hands slipped the fabric of his unbuttoned white shirt down over his shoulders. A blush grew upon his soft cheeks. "Coba-kun…" he whispered, he was still nervous. They had only done this once or twice. He took hold of his older lover's chocolate braid and began freeing the long silky tresses. He liked the way Cobalt looked with his hair loose. _

_His older lover paused, placing his large hands on the young king's shoulders. His tender expression soothed Fiacre's worries. "Fi… we don't have to," he whispered his voice soft yet deep. _

_The blonde reached behind his own head to untie the black ribbon restraining his hair. He let the silvery golden locks highlighted with a slight shade of turquoise tumble through his slender fingers and fall about his face. His voice as usual was hardly above a whisper, "I want to." A shade of pink touched upon his cheeks, it was not often that he said something so daring. _

_Cobalt smiled and tugged him close, "if you ever want me to stop…"_

_Fiacre echoed his grin, closing his azure eyes as he laid his head against the man's warm chest, "I know, I can just say so."_

"_I love you, Cobalt."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

Rain shattered upon the stone ground and sloshed within the flooded soil of the nearby gardens. Everything was wet and dreary as if drowned by the increasingly cruel air of the night. Cogs of an intangible clock began to twisted as its pendulum seemed to suddenly swing freely. Cobalt stood solemnly amongst the newborn paradigm.

"But I didn't stop… did I, Fi-kun? This time… you told me to stop…. And I didn't listen. I went too far, and now you are gone…," Cobalt's dark eyes seemed to transform into black pools as he steadied himself, glaring before him towards the dungeons. "And he killed you. They both killed you." With that he stepped forward.

-

-

-

The moon continued to act as a ghostly spectator above the nightly doings, distant where it resided in the far off heavens, yet it was alive. It's radiance shone more weakly now as the mist had grown thick enough to block much of its glowing form. Yet through eternal determination, it still fought to illuminate the dark stone hell of the dungeon.

Time had passed since Yuuri had found Wolfram in his damp cell, the floor of which was coated in blood and vomit at the corners, evidence of the prince's slow starvation and torture. Everything was silent, save for the intermittent cries of black crows or ravens as they fluttered ominously passed the barred windows or the gentle wind blowing against the rusted chains that hung from the endless black hole that was the ceiling. Even the feel of the prince's skin had become unwelcoming as it became more and more like rubbery ice tinted with blues and greenish-gray.

Yuuri tried desperately to wake Wolfram, whose eyes had closed a while ago. When he reached his hand in to touch the blonde's lips, he could feel the soft traces of breath, but even when the boy-king shook him gently, he could not muster enough strength to wake. "Wolfram, please," Yuuri whispered. "You promised you would live, remember?" He gently stroked his love's hair, "Remember when we were back home? If you don't… you'll make your husband cry."

"Y-yuuri….," a shuddering gasp answered. The prince's body did not move, nor did his emerald eyes open, but he had spoken.

The king thrust himself against the bars as if he could get inside with him. "Wolfram, Wolfram!" Yuuri's lips seemed to chant the name without thought. "I'm here, Wolf-fu, right here. I'm not leaving." He tugged at the prince's arm in order to grasp his boney hand.

Yet to his despair, the blonde did not speak again. Nor could he gather the might to grip Yuuri's fingers. The prince was slipping away slowly, painfully losing all use of his body until he would eventually just stop and cease to live. Tears found their way back into Yuuri's onyx eyes as the realization seemed to dawn upon him. Wolfram was dying.

The boy's sobbing became more desperate as he thrust his hands pitifully through the bars, trying to grasp what all he could of his lover. Yet he could not hold him. He couldn't kiss his lips or bring any comforting words to reach his ears. The prince was cutting himself off from all existence.

"_Yuuri, you will tell me, won't you? When you are ready?"_

Yuuri still had so much he needed to say, so many promises he had to keep. "Wolfram… ," he choked, "I need to tell you now… about the blindfold… ." Bringing the prince's hand through the bars he pressed his lips to it fervently. "You deserve to know. You deserve so much better than all of this…." He held Wolfram's palm to his warm cheek. "But first… I need to thank you. F-for everything… I-I woul…" he stopped as tears overtook him. "I wouldn't have ever known true love without you," he cried out as his words became sobs.

Silence watched from every corner, death by its side waiting for its cue.

-

-

-

Conrart shivered, now bound naked in a large….birdcage. It hung from the ceiling of an empty tower and swayed as icy wind breezed in and out through the open windows. The metal burned his skin with its coldness and every breath he took sent up a wave of steam up from its metal surface.

Yet lifting his head, he could see the large silhouette of the moon. A iridescent orb sailing upon the clouds where it was suspended in the ghostly mist. A little clumsy unable to use his arms or legs, he managed to bring himself upon his knees, making him just tall enough to see the courtyard through the window. His eyes scanned anxiously for any signs of life, hoping for the flicker of lanterns or perhaps the resounding noise of a voice. Yet nothing came. However, squinting his eyes he felt certain that he had seen something black slip through the doors of the frightening building across the way.

Where was Yuuri? Where was Wolfram and Gwendal? In fact… where was he? He remembered being discovered in the prison beside Gwendal's cell, yet after that he could only draw blanks. He thought momentarily, he felt no drowsiness or dizziness usually left by poisons, and there were no injuries upon his bare figure.

How did he get up here?  
-

-

-

Cobalt thrust open the heavy door and marched in through the darkness without thought to whether or not he could see. He had memorized the tortuous maze of these dank corridors, and above all other things, he knew exactly where his prey would be. He had no more time for patience, and did not stop for any of the echoing pleas and cries from the other cells, he did not even seem to notice the stench of rotting flesh and human excretion.

His boots rang loudly off the floors and sounded throughout the entire fortress, from where he lay grasping Wolfram's hand, Yuuri began to pray. Even footstep drew closer at an alarming speed, and with them the shout of the human general himself.

"You are cornered, little Yuuri," echoed the voice from somewhere the boy could not see, "you cannot run."

The demon king shut his eyes tightly, still chanting his desperate psalms and hymns. "Please gods," he murmured in between kissing his beloved's fingers, "let him live… please… spare him…."

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.


	23. Chapter 23: Carry Me

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I apologize for any cheeziness, corniness, or overall badness of this chapter, i haven't writtne in a LONG LONG LONG time, so i am very rusty. I apologize.

Chapter 23: Carry Me 

Time not only seemed to stop, it shattered into nothingness as Cobalt's dark cloaked figure was born from the moist shadows. Nothing started, nothing ended, and nothing existed. It was as if everything had died.

The man's inner suffering was so great, so heart wrenching that he brought it with a maniacal grin which could not be wiped from his face. His only comfort came from the desperation and hopelessness he observed in his prey. Yuuri huddled close to the bars, trying, almost, to shrink to the size of a mouse as to crawl in beside Wolfram. With an attempt at courage he whispered, "what did you do to him?"

Cobalt had to strain his ears in order to hear his words above the silence. He did not answer right away. Instead he shuffled through multiple answers that he could give Yuuri, multiple explanations that would ease the boys mind. However he chose none of these. "I merely played out corrupt justice."

Angered by the man's haughty answer, Yuuri clenched the metal harder in his fists, "what do you mean by that?" His voice broke awkwardly as emotions stampeded to his heart.

"Simple," the man quipped, devaluing the pain clenching the king's body. "He payed for our sins."

Yuuri clumsily thrust himself onto his feet, the clattering noise resounding throughout the labyrinth. "You can't do that," he screamed, serenaded by the sudden fluttering of crows over head. The birds sought escape from the unwelcome clamor and retreated into the glow of the moon, rattling the swinging chains. Life seemed to restart.

Cobalt stepped threateningly close, "listen to me boy, I can do what I wish, and I will." Without warming he threw up his hand dug his nails into the young man's throat. Yuuri gasped in shock. "I could have easily killed him," he growled, "yet I showed that noble bastard mercy," he shoved his victim to the ground and thrust his foot into his side, "it is you who has done wrong, Yuuri. None of this would have ever happened if it weren't for you." With a final kick, Cobalt diverted his attention to the unmoving corpse that was Wolfram. "Take him out," he commanded his soldiers.

The men scrambled about the corridor in a rustle of armor and keys until they had dragged the gray body to lay before their master. The general chuckled inwardly, "is it alive?"

A soldier timidly placed his fingers to the prince's throat as the others looked on in disgust. "Just barely, sir."

"Poor bastard," Cobalt sighed, his words dripping with malicious sarcasm. Then, straightening his coat, he muttered, "slit his throat."

"N-no," Yuuri's voice quivered from where he sprawled across the concrete, "pl-pl-lease, I-I love h-h," he fell silent, his words trapped in the air as his bruised lungs could no longer function.

Cobalt sighed, and reluctantly turned away, "take them to my office."

-

When alone, he glanced about the dungeon, drinking in the hell that he had built. A sick pride grew in his chest. His eyes, however, stopped upon the open door to Lord Bielefeld's cell. Even from where he was standing, the stench of human waste and the aura left by the dead reached him, slithering into him through his breaths and down into his deepest emotions.

Cobalt meekly made his way toward it, following in his mind, the course of suffering he had put Wolfram through whilst he had been in this dead place. With a glance within, the boy's blood and excrement could be seen, spilled about in an grotesque scene of human indignity. Yet there was something unlike the rest, something that grew from life instead of death. In the corner, the only place devoid of excretion, grew a small blue flower, a forget-me-not.

-

-

-

_Yuuri grinned as he braided Wolfram's wavy locks, all the while pressing intermittent kisses to the man's pink cheeks. The king smiled. _

_They were in the garden, one on the outskirts of town and far from the prying eyes of others. It was here, where the remains of an old chapel was overgrown with every type of blooms imaginable, that the lovers found solace from their every day lives. _

_Wolfram hummed to himself contentedly, closing his eyes as the massaging feel of his king's fingers ran through his golden hair. _

"_What are you singing?" Yuuri asked quietly, the tune seemed familiar. _

_The blonde thought for a moment before a small smile graced his lips. "I wish I could tell you…," he paused to bring a white blossom, to his nose, "… I believe its something my mother used to sing… or Weller."  
_

"_Hmm…," Yuuri reflected, his mind devoid of true thought, "it's nice." Then grinning he spotted a large violet that had somehow been tugged from its stem. Playfully he perched it behind his lover's ear. "Don't you look so pretty," he teased. _

_Wolfram chuckled, "I'm not the one braiding another man's hair." Yuuri blushed and went silent. His long afternoons making flower crowns with Greta seemed to have a lasting effect on him and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. Slowly, he shifted into the prince's lap. _

"_It's good for a man to be feminine sometimes," he announced in his defense. _

_Wolfram merely smiled, leaning in to kiss his lips, "But of course." _

_For a few moments they sat in silence, Yuuri's head tucked beneath the blonde's pale chin. A small rabbit hopped past, and deciding they were no threat, paid no notice. There was so much life here. The king closed his eyes, "what's your favorite flower here, Wolf?" _

_  
Wolfram was taken aback by the question and glanced about, "what's yours?"_

_Yuuri breathed in deeply, and lifted his hand in order to guide Wolfram's emerald eyes towards the far end of the garden. There, a fallen stone wall intersected with a small creek lined by tall pines. "I like those big yellow one's over there." Wolfram examined the flowers in question and nodded, they were very beautiful and resembled a small golden waterfall springing to life between the cracks of the dark stones. _

"_I think my favorite's would be these small blue ones right here," he gestured to a unkempt forest of petite blue petals. Although sweet they were not as radiant as Yuuri's fire lilies. _

"_Why?" Yuuri asked._

"_They are loyal," Wolfram answered, and that was that. _

_And although Yuuri had never and, there was strong reasoning behind Wolfram's choice. Yet since that day, the prince had been certain to always remind the castle gardeners of these particular flowers. _

_Every garden, as does every love, needs its forget-me-nots. _

-

-

-

Yuuri grunted as he tripped clumsily into the room, his hands chained behind his back and his feet shackled crudely together. He panted endlessly, unable to draw in any significant amount of air until he finally fell limply upon the floor.

Another knight, one not overlooking the Mazoku king, flung Wolfram to the ground beside him, disinterested in any damage caused to the 'Bastard of Spitzweg.' Yuuri crawled with much difficulty to his side. He ignored the knights' fleeting comments.

"Shit," one said, covering his nose, "you sure that thing ain't dead?"

His comrade nodded, "trust me, its alive. As disgusting as it looks, its alive." He then laughed, "what a pity, the thing used to be a looker too. Did him once or twice myself."

The boy-king flinched in pain as they discussed Wolfram as a piece of meat that had rotten and was now fouling the entire castle. However, the sight of his beloved was far more atrocious when beheld in the light. Now every scar, every bruise, all evidence of the blonde's repeated violation was illuminated. His wrists and ankles were torn and gashed from rope, and his thighs bore deep teeth marks. His back and sides were a war of lashes and infections from injuries left untreated for days or weeks.

Yuuri cradled Wolfram's head, kissing his hair and cheeks as he had longed to every moment Wolfram had been out of his reach. The smell didn't bother him, nor did the rotting skin. It was his Wolfram, and no matter what, he was still beautiful.

-

-

-

_Yuuri adjusted himself on his bed, glancing out the window at the soldiers who marched up and down the streets. It was raining, yet even so their procession continued unfailingly. They had a mission, and therefore they had a purpose. _

_Only 13, Yuuri envied them. He envied their knowledge and their experience. These soldiers had made something of themselves. _

_Just then, the activity seemed to halt as the warriors fell into place. Curious, the adolescent drew closer to the window, placing his tan palms upon the cool glass. A new man had arrived, ad by the reaction of the others, Yuuri could tell that he was important. However, when the man removed his cap, he revealed instead of a seasoned army veteran, a handsome young man, no more than 22. _

_Yuuri, squinting his eyes, could make out the name on his uniform:_

'_Cobalt Forrester'_


	24. Chapter 24: Broken Cradle

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: I apologize for how long this is taking me to right, I'll come out and admit that this time it is because I have been lazy. I am sorry.

Chapter 24 : Broken Cradle

"_So… you're Cobalt?" Yuuri looked in awe at the soldier next to him. A slight breeze whispered through the trees in the park and the man smiled. Or… perhaps he was more of a boy. He looked to be about 20, definitely no more than that. _

"_Yes, that is my name." His voice was soft and quiet. _

_Yuuri looked away, he had just turned 13, so it was not easy to hold a conversation with a stranger who was quite a few years older than him. He had never really meant to speak to him in the first place. But when someone returns your stray baseball you at least have to say thank you. And Yuuri had a tendency to attract people to him, it was just a positive feeling around him. With Yuuri, everyone felt safe. _

"_You know…," Yuuri murmured, "It's not normal to see soldiers around here… you guys aren't Japanese are you? Is there a war going on?"_

_Cobalt looked at him in surprise; he hadn't realized how out of place he was in this quiet neighborhood. "I am not allowed to say where we are from, but no… there isn't any war. You don't need to worry." _

_Yuuri nodded then stood, "I'm sorry, but I have homework to do, but… I guess I'll see you around." _

_The soldier nodded shyly, "yes, it will be nice to meet again. Do you play…umm…that game here often?"_

_The boy paused for a moment, "You mean baseball?"_

_Cobalt nodded. _

"_Yeah, I play here a lot, almost everyday after school." Yuuri was surprised at how little the soldier seemed to know about sports. "You must be foreign if you don't know what baseball is… if you want… you can come by here tomorrow and I'll teach you how to play."_

_The young man blushed at the kind gesture and nodded, "I would like that."_

_Yuuri smiled, "then I'll see you tomorrow. Sayonara." _

_And that is how the chain began. Innocent, friendly. Both boys had only good intentions in their hearts and believed at the time that it would stay that way. But they were sadly mistaken._

_-_

_-_

_-_

Yuuri fought as hard as he could against the soldiers trying to separate him from Wolfram. He tried everything he could to writhe out of their grasp, his legs kicking out desperately and his arms flailing in range with their faces. Yet in spite of all his efforts they managed to drag him out into the hall and towards the throne room.

"I can't leave him," Yuuri cried, once again trying to thrust himself back towards the office. "He needs help. Someone needs to get medicine or he'll die!"

Finally, the soldiers stopped. The taller of the two glared down at the prisoner in frustration and nearly growled his response. "No one cares if he dies, no ones going to get help, and if you don't shut up, I'll go back myself and slit his throat right now. And you know what? I wouldn't even get a slap on the wrist for doing it."

Yuuri cowered silently on the floor, on the verge of tears. The soldiers restarted their trek towards down the corridor.

When they finally reached their destination they sat Yuuri in the large ornate gold throne and bound him to it with ropes and chains. They were not going to risk his getting away again. Dazedly the boy king watched as they soldiers took their positions on either side of the doorway and waited. It seemed as if they were statues who neither moved nor breathed, it was even suspect if they blinked. At a loss for ideas, Yuuri dropped his head, and not caring anymore who saw, began to cry.

"Wolfram… please… don't leave."

"I said to shut up," the guard snapped, "I'm sick of your blubbering, Lord Cobalt will be here soon enough to deal with you."

Yuuri's eyes fluttered slightly… they kept saying his name, why? Why did that name seem so familiar… Cobalt…. It stuck a chord in his heart each time he heard it. "Who… are you… Cobalt?"  
-

-

-

The only sound in the office was that of lightly padding footsteps and the sound of Wolfram's weak body being dragged up from the ground. "You poor thing," a gentle voice whispered.

The movement stopped as the ring of heavy boots on stone was heard from farther down the hall. As the sound drifted farther and farther away, life restarted in the office. "It looks like we don't have much time do we?" A sigh brushed through the voice, "What have we become, neh Wolfram-kun?"

Through the window, the rising sun allowed a slight path of crimson light, like a stream of blood across the wooden floor. It wasn't much light to see by, but it would be enough.

-

-

-

Conrad gripped the bars to his hanging jail cell once again, trying another time to bend them. The poles were thin, yet did not budge. He groaned in frustration as his fingers, wet with sweat and blood, slipped pathetically. "Dammit!" He cried, thrusting his fists against the metal. It was useless and only causing more problems then it was fixing.

"Stop trying to bend then, Conrart," a deep voice echoed from below. The brunette jumped, surprised at his sudden company, pressing as close as he could to the side of the cage, he glanced down, for the first time noticing another cage hanging below his.

"Gwendal?" His voice echoed in the cold tower. "How long have you been in there?"

"As long as you have." His words were followed by a ragged coughing. "They put us in here so that we will be able to watch his majesty's execution." A sickening silence hung in the air.

Conrad's heart stopped. "What are you talking about?"

Gwendal sighed, "look once again out the window… down at the courtyard. What can you see?"

The brunette squinted his eyes and peered through the gray mists of dawn towards the courtyard. There were soldiers march to and fro with spears as they headed towards their daily posts. Farther towards what appeared to be the chapel, located on the right sight of the clearing, stood horses awaiting their saddles. And there, in the middle of the square, large and black lay a cross. "They are going to crucify him?"

Gwendal coughed again, a slight drizzle of blood making its way down his chin. "One can only assume that that is why they would have a large cross in their castle."

Conrad's stomach seemed to turn sour and he felt sick. "Yuuri." Then more gruesome thought reached his mind, "you don't think that they would… Wolfram… they don't have two crosses." His head reeled and his desperation to be freed from the cage returned once again.

"To them Wolfram is not important enough to give such a grand execution. They will most likely decapitate him and show off his head as a message to the Mazoku people." His voice trembled, for the first time in many years, Gwendal longed to cry. To sob and scream out against the disgusting cruelty of men.

-

-

-

"_Wolfram..."_

_The blonde turned to see his beloved standing in the doorway of the chapel. "What is it Yuuri, have you come to pray?"  
_

_The boy shook his head, "I came here to find you." He drew closer, padding nervously towards Wolfram, his cheeks slightly dusted with pink. Wolfram eyed him suspiciously, Yuuri was acting strangely shy and timid. It was a way he only acted when they were alone in their bedroom._

"_What are you up to?" Wolfram pulling Yuuri to him. He blushed when the boy groaned slightly. "Are you hurt?" The boy shook his head, and ground his hips slightly against his lover's._

"_Make love to me, Wolfram." The boy murmured, anxiously gazing into the prince's emerald eyes. He squeezed Wolfram's waist tighter to add emphasis. _

"_Yuuri… this is a holy place, I don't know if we should do such things here." The blonde glanced nervously about, eyeing the altar and the pews in search of any rogue monks that might see them. The boy king sighed and pulled away. He supposed he wasn't worthy of making love in the chapel to begin with. Not with his soiled body. _

"_I guess we can do it later," he murmured and turned away. _

"_Yuuri…," Wolfram whispered softly, reaching out to grasp his hand. "I'm sorry… we can go somewhere else if you'd like…"_

_Yuuri merely shot him a sweet smile over his shoulder, "its alright Wolfram, it's not important. We make love a lot, you were here to pray and I interrupted you for something selfish." He then looked away, staring towards the stained glass windows, brightly colored with scenes that he would never understand, gods he would never know. _

"_Yuuri, I love you, I want to make love to you." Wolfram murmured, closing the gap between them. "Even here."_

"_But-," Yuuri's protests was cut off by his prince's tender lips. He moaned at the wonderful feeling of being held so lovingly. When they drew apart Yuuri felt as if the world was spinning._

_"Yuuri." Was all that Wolfram said as they made love. _

_-_

_Yuuri stirred awake to the sound of birds. Their songs echoed through the old stone building. The sun was beginning to set, and everything seemed to glow with a golden light. Sitting up weakly, a blush dawned upon his cheeks, they were still in the chapel… and not only that… they were on the altar itself. Shyly he dared to glance at the sleeping form beside him. _

_Wolfram look so peaceful, so angelic. Lovingly Yuuri reached down to remove the sash from his eyes. Wolfram never dared to remove the sash himself… for fear that he would remove it before Yuuri was ready. The boy king sighed and kissed his cheek. _

"_Thank you, Wolfram, for loving me." _


	25. Chapter 25: Shatter the Mirror

Blindfold

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Note: alright, now I have something to say. As of late I have received a few notes saying that someone hated this story so much and its just sooo terrible, and all I have to say is: THEN WHY DID YOU READ IT? This isn't a oneshot, you can stop whenever you please. I don't see why someone would bother reading a 24 chapter story if they hated it, that's just a moronic waste of one's time and helps neither one of us because saying 'I hated it' doesn't give me anything to go on as to improve my writing and just makes me think that you are silly for bothering to finish it in the first place. No one said you had to read my story, and if you dislike it please explain yourself so I can look to correct the errors in my writing. To those of you who actually like this story, I apologize for wasting your time with this note. I don't mean to sound mean, I know there are people who won't like my writing, I am definitely not a perfect writer, but I get frustrated with unfounded criticism. I am not adverse to criticism (if it is explained) but I am adverse to arrogance and ignorance.

Again, I apologize to those of you who faithfully follow this story. I appreciate your patience with me.

–Rune Wolfe

Chapter 25: Shatter the Mirror

Wolfram's eyes fluttered open to find he was lying on his back staring at the ceiling of a room which was not the dungeon. The ache in his body returned momentarily and he began to feel dizzy. "Yuuri…," he sighed, a vague memory of his fiancee's presence clinging to the shards of his blurred memory. Shifting his golden head, he allowed himself a glimpse at his chest and arms. He had been bathed, and his wounds had been bandaged.

Weakly he called out again, his voice breaking too much to be understood. He froze at the sound of footsteps across the room.

A soft voice reached his ears as a sweet face came into his view. "You're finally awake." A young boy, looking to be no older than Yuuri, with pale blonde hair smiled down at him. For a moment Wolfram was certain that he was dead and that this angel was about to tell him so.

"Where is… Yuu…ri?" The prince tried again, lifting his head slightly before becoming to nauseas.

"He is with Cobalt… I must go to him now." The boy sighed knowingly, stroking Wolfram's hair momentarily and moving to stand. His white robes flowed with his movements, accentuating his divinity.

"Wh-who are you?' The prince coughed.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me?" The boy teased as he drifted towards the door. " I may not look the same, but I am still the same little spark that I've always been." With that he disappeared into the corridor.

Wolfram merely stared, lost in the painful pulsing in his head. Through the din in his mind he could not draw an image for such a person. A spark? What had he meant by a spark?Yet with his exhaustion his mental quest did not last long, and he began to drift into sleep. The soft blankets became Yuuri's warm skin, and his thoughts became a pleasant dream he did not wish to free himself from.

-

-

-

Yuuri writhed against the ropes that bound him in place. He was getting far more desperate as time went by. He hadn't heard from Conrad since they had separated and was beginning to worry that he too had fallen into Cobalt' s grasp. The guards merely watched him, laughing at his pathetic attempts to loosen the binds.

"Even if you free yourself," one said, "you will not be able to get past us." His companion chuckled in agreement. They found this amusing, the great demon king as weak as a newborn pup.

The other joined in the mocking, "why don't you use your famous 'Maou powers?'" He poked at the boy's shoulder with the base of his spear.

The boy-king ignored them, it wasn't as if he could just call upon his powers. They came and went as they pleased, without Yuuri's command. He wished that he had them, that he could destroy this whole godforsaken castle and save Wolfram. But try as he might, he couldn't. It was then that a sickening song drifted in from the corridor.

"_Three Spitzweg bastards in my home_

_Three little bastards all my own_

_Which little bastard is alone?_

_Which Spitzweg bastard shall go home?"_

Cobalt.

Yuuri's heart fell still, seemingly gone from his body. He had all of them, Gwendal, Conrad, and Wolfram; those people that he cared for so much, his family. He hung his head as the door was pushed open.

"M'Lord," the guards bowed in unison.

Cobalt merely nodded to acknowledge there existence as he stepped in through the doorway. "Ah, my dear king," he murmured, grasping Yuuri's chin in his hand to lift his face, "have you been good?" The guards sniggered behind him.

"He's been writhing like a lil' snake, m'lord," the larger one announced, he resembled a dog begging pathetically for a treat from a stingy master.

"Yet you didn't manage to get out, did you?" Cobalt grinned. "Thats good, or else all my preparations would have gone to waste." He stepped back and turned once again to his soldiers, "have the gallows be prepared?" The men nodded obediently.

Yuuri swallowed hard, "gallows? You're going to hang me?"

"We couldn't do that Maou heika," the general sighed, as if what the boy had said was incredibly ignorant. "We have a crossed prepared just for you. Isn't that nice? So much more interesting than the old gallows, and far more suiting of a demon king. The nooses are just for your friends."

It sickened Yuuri. Every word his said was disgusting. He spoke of execution as if it were a game. "You still haven't told me why… why are you doing this? What have I done?"

Cobalt lowered himself to look Yuuri in the eye. "Why? Because you took away everything I ever had. You made to world think I was a criminal." He stood abruptly, and slapped his prisoner hard across the face. "No punishment I could ever give you would make up for what you did. Why did you give them my name? I had been your friend, and you turned me in when I was an innocent man!"

"You raped me!" Yuuri screamed. Yes, he remembered, he could see it all now. The hours of agony those soldiers had put him through, Cobalt's voice ringing in his head.

"I had no choice," the man growled, "You saw it, Yuuri, you were there. I didn't have any other option. They were going to kill both of us if I hadn't. They had guns, I had nothing." His face had taken on a shade of red from his fury. "and that was after you sold me to the police like a mongrel."

Tears had welled up in Yuuri's eyes, "No I didn't see it; you gave me that god damn blindfold. I didn't mean for any of it to happen, they didn't tell me that they were looking for a criminal. They just asked if I knew any soldiers."

"It's too late to say that you're innocent, I am going to make you pay here and now for everything you put me through." Cobalt snapped.

Just then the man froze. The feel of a blade against the back of his neck stilled his actions. "General Forrester you shall do no such thing."

-

-

-

Conrart held his breath, sucking in his stomach as much as possible in another attempt to squeeze through the bars. Twisting his head into various positions, he free his arm, then his, and then bit by bit the rest of his body. He had found that the bars had the widest gap in between them at the level of his head; therefore he needed to climb a ways up in order to go through.

Gwendal shook his head, "you are going to get yourself killed." His younger brother had been trying this for what seemed to be hours.

"I would rather that then sit here and let Yuuri die," his brother said matter-of-factly, "Besides, I'm out aren't I? Now all I have to figure out is how to get down." He gazed down below him, cautiously gripping the bars of his cage, they were to high to jump and trying to climb down the chains would be risky.

"Perhaps the way to get down is to find the way we got up," Gwendal mused, watching with slight amusement as his brother climbed about the outside of his cage.

Conrad thought for a moment, that was actually a good idea. Glancing above his head, he squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shapes above him. He had to get closer. Carefully he began to climb towards the top of his metal trap, relying mostly on the strength of his arms as his feet could not find trusty footing. As he reached the point where the bars curved furthest outward, he slipped, yet soon regained his anchorage. Finally he stood upon the highest point, grasping the chain that suspended the cage high in the air.

"Do you see anything?" Gwendal's voice called from below him.

Conrad squinted again, everything was much easier to see now. "There's a giant pulley. I just can't figure out how it works."

The dark haired brother thought for a moment. "Can you reach it from where you are standing?"

"Just barely," was the brunette's doubtful answer. He reached out his hand to see how well he could grasp it. His palm could just barely touch the metal rig, but it had possibility.

Gwendal called to him again, "is there a lever of some sort?"

Conrad located the lever. "Yes, and it's just in my reach."

Gwendal smiled, "then we have found our way out."


End file.
